Turn the Tables
by sweetdreamer94
Summary: AU/ How the tables have turned. Rachel is starting her freshman year at McKinley her brothers the star athlete and her sister the popular cheerleader. Nothing can hurt them now. Right?
1. Chapter 1

**Here goes. My first Glee story! It's something my crazed mind came up with. Follow the Corcoran Family and all of the drama that surrounds their lives. Hope you like it. **

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><p>Shelby Corcoran lay curled up under her satin sheets clinging onto the last bit of sleep. A slow smile curved the side of her mouth as she dreamt of her old days on Broadway. The house was quiet, her room was nice and dark and her body simply refused to get up. A groan escaped her lips as she remembered the hectic day that lay ahead of her. Reluctantly, she cracked an eye open and stared at the alarm clock one last time. Sighing in defeat she lifted her head up off the pillow, swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She sat in silence and ran a hand through her hair.<p>

She really hated mornings.

Even since she could remember, mornings were never her thing. Shelby shuffled into the bathroom and walked over to the sink, turning on the faucet she stared at her reflection in the mirror, frazzled hair and droopy eyes staring right back at her.

She bent down and splashed cool water over her face, blinking profusely she looked up and forced a somewhat decent smile "Good Morning to you too" and she began about her daily rituals.

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><p>Showered, dressed and ready to face the day, Shelby made her way out of her bedroom, heels clacking on the wooden floors. She was thoughtlessly humming the tune of "Don't Rain on My Parade," which If anybody asked was her favorite song from her favorite musical, when a frown slowly formed on her face.<p>

The house was quiet... too quiet.

She glanced down at the watch on her wrist and her brows formed into a straight line as she read the time. _Those kids better be up_.

Shelby made her way down the hall stopping in front of a door that had a Keep Out street sign nailed to it. She rapped her knuckles twice against the wood, she long ago made it a habit to always knock before entering into her teenaged sons room. She waited for an answer and when she didn't hear her sons usual grunt of response Shelby pushed her way through.

"Noah?" No response. "No its seve-"

"NOAH EZRA CORCORAN!" She yelled at the sight of her son still wrapped under his sheets, drooling into his pillow.

Noah jumped at the sudden high pitched yell that filled his room, flailing his arms around he spat, "I'm up! I'm up."

He sat in his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, watching as his mother walked around the room, her eyes roaming over every surface.

"You better be ready and out that door in fifteen minutes Noah!" Shelby snapped as she stepped over the pile of clothes that littered her sons bedroom floor, "Didn't I tell you to clean your room last night?"

"Ma do you seriously have to yell?" Noah sighed as he threw the sheets off his body .

"FIFTEEN MINUTES!" Shelby turned and heard her son grumble something "And I want this place cleaned before I come home!"

She made her way towards the second room. Not pausing to knock Shelby threw the door open with a bang and stalked over to the closed curtains, swiftly pulling them back and flooding the room with light.

Her daughter moaned as the sun hit her face and Shelby walked over to the bed and grabbed a fist full of the dark red sheets. She tried to pull them off of her daughter but the younger girl grabbed onto them as well, refusing to let go.

Shelby tugged harder, her daughter meeting each tug with a pull of her own, both as stubborn as ever.

"Santana" She gritted through her teeth.

"Fivemoreminutes" Santana mumbled, covers wrapped securely under her chin and her eyes clamped shut.

"Absolutely not!" Shelby gave one final tug, mustering up all her strength and successfully stripped the bed of sheets leaving Santana cold and exposed to the very first morning of her junior year.

"Mom!" Santana frustratedly curled herself into a ball and covered her face with her arms.

"Santana Ava Corcoran" Shelby grabbed her daughter by the wrist and hoisted her up, "We're not doing this again this year. Come on. Up!"

Santana groaned and whimpered as she sat up on her bed, blinking sleepily at her mother.

"I washed your uniform for you, it's hanging on your closet door. You have less than fifteen minutes to get to school. Hurry up so you can come down and eat some breakfast" Shelby waited for her daughter to sulk her way into the bathroom before she left.

"Two kids down. One to go." Sighing she made her way over to the last bedroom down the hall.

She opened the door, "Rach?" She called softly and flipped the light switch, expecting to find her youngest rummaging through her closet. The room however was empty and spotless and the bed was already made. Shelby couldn't help but smile.

Just then she heard the unmistakable sound of clanking pots and pans coming from downstairs.

_Yikes that doesn't sound good_

She closed Rachel's door and paused for a second at the landing, "TEN MINUTES GUYS!" and when she heard her oldest grunt a reply in unison she continued down the stairs.

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><p>Rachel had always been a morning person, something she most definitely did not pick up from her mother. She happily buzzed around the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets and mixing and stirring away.<p>

"Morning baby." Shelby walked over and planted a kiss on her daughter's forhead.

"Morning mom." Rachel smiled and handed her mother a coffee mug.

"For me?" Shelby acted surprised.

"Yes. Cheers to the start of a new year!" Rachel clinked her own mug with her mothers and took a sip of her creamy concoction. "Oh and I made breakfast as well." She pointed over to the kitchen table where four plates were set.

Shelby placed her hand over heart, "Sweetheart! Thank you baby. Come here" Shelby pulled her into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms securely around Rachel's small body.

"Wow this looks delicious," She said as she eyed the plate before her, recognizing at once the telltale sign of her youngest' attempt at cooking.

"So are you ready for today?" Shelby took a bite out of her food and forced it down her throat, swallowing hard behind her hand.

"I'm ready. I have all my supplies and I think I have the perfect outfit, Santana helped me pick it out last night. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous" Rachel looked bashfully down into her cup of coffee.

"That's okay . It's perfectly normal but you have nothing to be nervous about. You're smart and beauiful and McKinley High's not gonna know what hit them, Not to mention your brother and sister are not gonna know what hit them either if I find out there not looking out for you." Shelby added and the two fell into a comfortable conversation over breakfast with Shelby recalling Santana and Noah's first day of highschool.

"She was so nervous she made your brother walk her to every class."

"Psht. As if." Santana waltzed into the kitchen just then. Her hair was pulled up into a perfectly curled ponytail and she was wearing a bright red cheerleading uniform. She walked over and plopped down next to Rachel, reaching over her plate to grab the juice.

"I stood clear away from _No-elle_ on my first day." Santana said sitting tall as she brought a forkful of food in her mouth, only to spit it back up onto her plate in disgust moments after.

"What the hell is this crap!" She choked, gulping down her cup of juice.

Rachel took a forkful out of her own plate and smiled, "Scrambled Tofu."

"Are you trying to kill me?" Santana reached for the carton, desperate to get rid of the taste.

Shelby laughed, "It's not _that_ bad San."

"Oh _yes_ _it is._ Yes it is!"

"What?" Noah walked into the kitchen then.

"Rachels breakfast," Santana said a devilish smirk curling her lip, "It's to _die_ for,"egging her brother on.

"Really? Sweet. Thanks Rach." Noah took a seat and no sooner had he touched the chair he began shoveling the food into his mouth.

Santana stared at her brother in horror, her mouth hanging open. He scraped the last bit of tofu off the plate and finished it off by downing his juice and burping real loud.

"Noah thats repulsive." Rachel said at the same time her mother flicked her sons shoulders, "_Manners_"

"_Ma_." The football player rubbed his head and turned to face his youngest sister, "and it's Puck Rachel. P-U-C-K _Puck_."

"I am going to call you by your proper name, you know the one that appears on your birth certificate?" Rachel answered as she stood up and began clearing the table.

Noah rolled his eyes and he shot Santana a look, "Does she have to go to school dressed like that?" He asked his mother.

"Ive been wearing this almost everyday since freshman year. So uh yeah. I kinda do." Santana flipped her pony tail.

He sighed thinking of all the guys he would have to put in their place later. This year was going to be even worse, _Rachel _was at the highschool now and he wasn't exactly liking her 'back to school' outfit.

"Whatever I'm in the car. Bye ma." Noah walked over and hugged his mother, pecking her on the top of her head, "Have fun at Carmel. Don't go too hard on the newbies."

"Thanks baby. Take care of your sisters!" She called after him and he raised his hand in response as he walked out the front door.

Shelby stood up from the table, "Okay girls let's go, you ready?" She glanced over at her daughters, both girls were so very different from each other. Shelby loved that about her kids. It faschinated her how different each of them could be, when they were younger people would even ask if they were all hers. She would always laugh at their questions, genes were a very powerful thing, especially when the mother was jewish and the father was half hispanic and part every other nationality you could think of. In her eyes her children were all uniquely perfect. All three of them.

"I don't know San are you sure this outfit is okay? I-is it too much?" Rachel asked looking down at her red v-neck top dark wash jeans and flats.

"Of course, its not too showy but it accentuates all the right parts and they're not hanging all out there, just showing enough to be peeking out."

Shelby gave her oldest a sharp look.

"What?" Santana shrugged, "Shi-oot I forgot to put lipgloss" and she went back upstairs.

Shelby shook her head and turned to her youngest, "Have a good day sweetheart" She hugged her daughter one more time, "I can't believe my baby is a freshman in highschool!" She choked.

"Mom are you crying?" Rachel laughed.

Shelby wiped a stray tear and composed herself, her tiny little girl was growing up fast. She had gone through so much in her life, and here she was , getting ready to start highschool. It was unreal.

"Go. Have fun!" Shelby lightly smacked Rachel's backside and send her out the front door, letting a few more tears fall as she watched her daughter walk across the lawn towards the black car blaring music in the driveway.

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><p>"Nu-uh" Santana opened the front door and pointed to the backseat of the car, "Hit the back midget."<p>

Rachel made a pouty face, "Please San."

"_Today_ Rachel" Santana tapped her foot impatiently and watched as her sister huffed in defeat, slowly unbuckling the seat belt. Rachel slowly took one foot out of the car, then another and stood up right under Santana's face and stuck out her tongue, looking very much like an overgrown child.

"Oh very mature_" _Santana said indifferently and she took her seat at the front of her brothers black mustang, smirking with content.

Puck rolled his eyes.

"Are you two losers done?" Puck tightened his grip on the steering wheel , "I've been sitting here forever already."

"Relax _No_-elle, God your such a girl sometime." Santana scoffed.

"We're ready," Rachel nodded her head from the backseat and Puck shifted the gear of the car and backed out of the driveway.

Santana's shoulder shook as she laughed at the name she'd been using for years. The one she knew got under her brothers skin every time without fail. She pulled down the visor, a sly smile plastered on her face as she ran her fingers over her eyebrows.

Puck looked over and shoved Santana hard, sending the girl crashing into the passenger door. Her laughter came to an abrupt stop and her smile instantly dropped from her face and was quickly replaced with a scowl. She shoved back twice as hard making the car swerve to the left.

"Guys!" Rachel called out from the backseat taking her usual place as the mediator between her older siblings, "Please. I'd like to make to it to my first day of high school thank you very much."

Puck and Santana both narrowed their eyes into slits and shot a glare towards one another, but stopped non the less. The tough jock and the popular cheerleader were constantly at each others throats and barely saw eye to eye, but they were always on the same page when it came to Rachel.

"Shit. Puck turn around I left my phone" Santana said as she rifled through her bag.

"You gotta be kidding me right now."

Santana sucked her teeth, "Just turn around."

Puck turned the car fast, making Rachel fall over in the backseat.

Santana hopped out of the car and ran towards the house.

"HURRY THE HELL UP SAN!"Puck called after her and she gave him the finger before she disappeared behind the front door.

Puck growled in his seat and gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

Santana ran into the kitchen and grabbed the phone off the counter.

"I left my cell" She waved it in her mothers direction. Shelby looked back but she was immersed in a phone conversation. Santana was about to leave but stopped when she noticed her mothers expression, a bad feeling creeping its way into her stomach. She knew her mom and as she studied her face she just knew something was definitely up. Shelby hung up the phone and Santana watched her mother's knuckles turn white as she gripped the counter.

"Mom?"

Shelby ran her hands through her hair and lifted her head up. She sighed as she saw the concerned look settling on Santana's face.

"What happened? Who was on the phone?" Santana asked.

Shelby took a deep breath, bracing herself, "That was your father."

Santana froze.

"He wants to see you kids." Shelby studied her daughters face and watched as it slowly went from shock to anger.

"Well he can go _fuck_ himself." Santana spat

"Santana _Language_." Shelby said.

"No mom I swear to God" Santanas body shook.

"Hey hey I know." Shelby walked over and embraced her daughter, running her hand soothingly through her hair, "Believe me. I know" She whispered.

Just then they heard a loud and long car horn and Shelby cupped her daughters face.

"Go before your brother wakes up the whole neighborhood. We'll talk about this later okay." Shelby kissed her daughters forehead and pulled her into one final hug, "Good luck at school today and please, _please_ keep an eye on your sister." Shelby's face was etched with worry.

"You know I will" Santana hugged back and kissed her mom on the cheek.

"Oh and San," Shelby started but was interrupted by her daughter.

"I know. Don't worry... I won't tell her."

Shelby sighed and made a weak attempt at a smile. "I love you. Now go. Forget about the phone call and have a good day."

"Love you too mom." Santana's mouth formed into a half smile and she walked out of the kitchen.

Shelby heard the front door close. She shook her head and rolled her eyes as she heard Santana yelling at her brother to calm down, she waited and listened for the roar of the mustang to drive down the street.

Once it was out of earshot Shelby sighed and slowly slid to the floor, the phone gripped tightly in her hand and a single thought formed inside her head.

_Shit. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay first off thank you so much for everyone who favorited flagged and reviewed this story! It definitely made me all happy inside lol. Second I'll try and keep the updates coming as fast as I can. School is about to start and as much I should be working on my homework and what not, I know this is going to be just what my procrastinating self will be working on instead when I find the time. So here's chapter 2. Hope you enjoy :) **

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><p>The students of McKinley High were littered throughout the parking lot immersed in conversations of summer break and trying to keep up with the hookups and breakups that occurred over the two-month period. Everyone was filtering their way into little cliques and embracing old friends when suddenly a black mustang roared into the lot. All heads seemed to turn and watch as the familiar car pulled into the coveted spot reserved every year for the senior who had the most pull at the school, in this case, Noah 'Puck' Corcoran.<p>

Puck killed the engine of his car, knowing full well that all eyes were on him at the moment, he smirked and basked in the feeling of being the "Big Man on Campus." This year was supposed to be the best year of his life. Senior year was going to be awesome. He had football and girls and he was even thinking about trying out for the wrestling team and more girls. Behind him Rachel coughed and Puck was suddenly brought back down to earth. S_isters. _He mentally rolled his eyes as he thought of the one thing that just might cause a problem in his perfect year.

Beside him Santana grabbed her bag and pulled the visor down to do one last make-up check. She glanced in the mirror and smiled back at her reflection. Santana knew she was hot and thankfully her boobs decided to fill out a little more over the summer. Santana smiled at her new found friends that were definitely going to come in handy this year when her eyes caught a glimpse of Rachel. Her little sister was shifting around in the backseat. Her bottom lip was was pulled in between her teeth and she wore that nervous look on her face that Santana knew so well. Santana silently cursed as her mind went back to the conversation she had with her mother. Why? They were all doing fine. Why did_ he_ have to come back into their lives now? They didn't need him. She shuddered as her mind traveled back to the past. How could he expect them to want to see him?

Santana was pulled out of her thoughts by her brother.

"Hold it. Before we go I need to cover some ground rules, " Puck turned his body around in the car, getting a good look at both his sisters. Santana zipped up her bag and fell back into her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited, knowing all too well the little "speech" her brother was about to give.

"Alright. One...do not call me Noah. In school the name's Puck. Puh-uck. Got it." He enunciated the name, eyes going back and forth between his sisters checking to make sure they understood.

Rachel made an attempt to interrupt but he simply put up his hand.

"Two. Welcome to my Kingdom." He raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the school and curved his mouth into a sly grin.

"Arrogant much?" Santana twirled her hair between her fingers.

Puck chose to ignore his sister's snide comment and continued.

"_Now_ in my Kingdom, what I say goes. I'm not captain of the football team for nothing," Puck justified his claims. He turned around and stared directly towards Santana, "And I say my friends are off limits."

The older brunette merely scoffed and seemed rather unfazed by the statement, taking a sudden interest in her nails. Puck then cut his attention towards Rachel.

"_You_" Puck shoved his finger in Rachels face,"Guys _period_ are off limits." Rachel scrunched up her brows in protest. Was he being serious?

"Which brings me to three. No Cheerios for you either. There is no way in hell your gonna be walkin around in some short slutty skirt, waving pompoms at the dickheads who go to this school."

"Guys love it when I show them my pompoms." Santana smirked as she spoke, seemingly lost in a memory.

"But Santana's a Cheerio?" Rachel raised an eyebrow.

Pucks eyes cut towards Santana, who still seemed lost in that memory "Well Santana wants to dress like a slut-"

"EXCUSE ME?! HEY! What about you _man-whore_!"Santana's focus snapped back to the conversation in the car and she glared at her brother. He was unbelievable. He could run around and do whatever he wanted, but they had to follow his rules? _Get Real._

"Rachel don't listen to him. He tried the same thing on me when I first got here. He thought he could forbid me from joining the Cheerios!"

The older brunette shoved the car door open and leapt out. She folded the frontseat down and grabbed Rachels hand, pulling her out from the backseat.

"Hey I wasn't finished!" Puck shouted as he sulked inside the car and Santana bent down to get a good look at his face, "You are now!"She slammed the door shut and wrapped her hand around Rachel's wrist dragging the younger girl inside the building. She stomped her way up the stairs and shoved her way past the crowded hall, muttering under her breath the entire time about overprotective brothers and pompous assholes.

Rachel was scurrying along after her, "San" she called her sister's name and tugged on her wrist to get her to stop. She knew there was something else bothering the older girl. Santana was just using Noah to vent off steam she had accumulated from somewhere else. She was too quiet during the car ride over here and knowing Santana, Rachel knew she wouldn't just open up about what was really bothering her. If she asked Santana would only shut her out. She would have to wait and eventually the older girl would give in and tell what was really on her mind. But in the mean time...it was a guessing game to try and figure out what was behind those walls Santana had built.

"Santana!" Rachel put her foot down.

"What!" Santana came to an abrupt halt and whipped her body around, bringing her nose right up to Rachel's face. The older girl sighed as she took in her little sisters worried look and she placed her hand on her hips. Her foot tapped the floor _one_ _two_ _three_ _four_ times before her face contorted with anger again.

"He's just so dam annoying sometime." Santana slammed her fist against the row of lockers beside her, causing a bang to ring out in the hallway. Rachel jumped.

"Sorry." Santana shrugged her shoulders. She sighed and began to feel better already. Her eyes wandered around the hall and they landed on a scrawny freshman who was standing in front of the lockers across from her.

"What are you looking at Jew-fro." She snapped.

"_San" _Rachel gave her sister a stern look and turned apologetically towards the nervous boy.

"Hi Jacob."

"H-Hi Rachel. Hi Rachel's equally h-h-ot friend." Santana raised her eyebrow and was about to say something to the stammering idiot before her but Rachel beat her to it.

"Jacob this is my sister, Santana."

"Oh-h-h" Jacob sighed and the two sisters watched as a weird look fell across his face.

"Ew. Gross." Santana shook her head in disgust and the freshman darted down the hallway.

"Santana" Rachel crossed her arms over her chest wondering why her sister was always so blunt with everyone.

"What?" The older girl shrugged her shoulders, she didn't find anything wrong with her encounter with the weird freshman. Rachel could only shake her head and let a small smile appear on her face at she thought of her older sister's antics.

"Oh look here comes your little girlfriend." Santana was looking just beyond Rachel's shoulders. The younger girl was about to turn around when she heard the unmistakable voice of her best friend rushing down the hall.

"Rachel!" Kurt slammed into her and pulled her into a hug. "You look fabulous!"He let go and held Rachel at arms length, nodding in approval as his eyes traveled up and down her outfit.

"I had this terrible nightmare last night that we came to school on the first day and you were wearing a unicorn sweater with argyle socks." Kurt gripped his chest and looked utterly horrified as he remembered the dream, "_Argyle Socks_! Can you imagine." He spotted Santana staring at him with raised eyebrows, "Oh hey Santana." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Well hello yourself munchkin. Look Rachel I'd love to stay and chat with you girls but I gotta go." Santana hugged her sister and kissed her on the cheek. She pulled back and put both hands on the younger girls shoulders, "You come find me if you need anything okay."

Rachel nodded in response as she stared into her sisters eyes, "Okay."

"Good. And try and make some new friends." Santana shot Kurt a glance, causing Rachel to frown and with that the cheerleader turned her body around and strutted down the hallway.

Kurt didn't seem to notice. He squeeled and snatched the schedule out of Rachel's hands, "I'm so excited! Who do you have first period!" His eyes quickly scanned the page.

"Excellent! We have like every class together and lunch too. This is going to be amazing!" Kurt smiled and squeezed Rachel's hand. The small brunette squeezed back and returned the smile, but inside she couldn't shake off the nervous feeling that had her stomach grumbling since breakfast.

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><p>"Dude check out Taylor Williams. She got hotter over the summer." Puck was leaning against a row of lockers, scanning the girls who walked by. He felt a quick jab on his arm.<p>

"No Dude. Heather Mitchell." Finn Hudson watched, mouth slightly agape as the red head walked by and grinned at the two boys.

"Eh I guess. If your into red heads."

"Sup Corcoran." A junior on the football team walked by, "Hudson." Both seniors nodded their head in his direction.

"Hi Puck." A blonde girl waved her fingers and bit her bottom lip. Puck just smirked and winked.

"Hey Finn." The same blonde twirled her hair and Finn felt his tongue stumble around for the right words, "H-Hey Jessica."

Puck felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around, ready to charm the pants off whichever girl was trying to get his attention.

"Argghh!" He screamed in disgust and flapped his arms in front of his face, attempting to erase the girl who stood before him.

"Very funny No-elle." Santana pursed her lips and folded her arms across her chest. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up as her brother scowled upon hearing his nickname.

"Frankenteen" She acknowledged Finn's presence and the two girls standing next to her couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Quinn. Brittany." Puck greeted his sisters inseparable friends. "What's up?" Pucks eyes quickly fell on an underclassman who walked by transfixed on the three cheerleaders.

_Keep walking._

"Just wanted to let you know that I dropped Rachel off by her homeroom. She's with Kurt."

Puck brought his attention back to his sister."That's it?"

"Yup. Keep an eye on her Puck." Santana held her gaze longer than expected and Puck raised his brow in question, silently having a conversation with his sister. The two shared a look which they both knew meant _later._

_"_Dude. The bells about to ring. We got newbies to slushie." Finn slapped his hand over Pucks shoulder, the oldest Corcoran nodding in response.

"Yeah gotta go uphold the tradition," Puck turned around and stared at his sister before rushing off, "San go...to class...or something." He was supposed to say those things.

Santana blinked back, suddenly beginning to question her brother entirely.

"Bye Puck!" Brittany called after him and Santana shot her a look. "Really Britt?"

"What?"

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><p>The rest of the morning had gone by fairly smoothly. Rachel had every class with Kurt up until then and she found that high school wasn't so bad. The teacher's were nice. The work load wasn't too overwhelming and besides the students who came over from George Washington Middle School, everyone else from her grade was pretty much the same.<p>

The bell rang signaling the beginning of lunch. Rachel was supposed to meet Kurt at the cafeteria. She grabbed her books and made her way down the crowded hall. A couple of older jocks brushed past her shoulders and one girl even bumped into her and had the audacity to tell Rachel to watch where she was going. _Can you believe that! She bumped into me and I have to watch where I'm going?_!

Rachel finally made it to the lockers and began spinning the lock right then left then right again, rattling the handle of the metal door until it finally clicked open.

"Tricky locker huh."

Rachel snapped her head in the direction of the speaker.

"I hate it when that happens. I used to have to bang my locker three times before it opened up for me last year in middle school. I'm Mercedes by the way."

Rachel looked down at the outstretched hand and smiled as she shook it "Rachel"

"You went to McKinley Middle right?" Mercedes asked as she put her books away inside the locker.

"Yeah. I'm guessing you went to George Washington?" Rachel grabbed the brown paper bag sitting on the shelf.

"Yup. Hey you have lunch this period? Me too!" Mercedes closed the locker door.

"Great! We can walk together. I sort of forgot it's location." Rachel closed her locker and Mercedes laughed.

"Me too, oh well we'll just have to see where everyone else goes." The two girls made their way down the hall and Rachel was happy she had made a new friend.

"So what teacher's do you have?" Mercedes asked and Rachel fished around for her schedule.

"Cool we have seventh period together." Mercedes was comparing schedules when she looked up and saw a group of guys standing by the entrance of the cafeteria.

"Girl there are some cuties at McKinley."

Rachel looked up and followed her friends gaze.

"See that guy over there. He's the captain of the football team and mmm is he fine!"

"Noah?" Rachel scrunched up her face and pretended to shove her finger down her throat. Mercedes didn't notice.

"I heard his family is loaded! His mom used to be on Broadway. He's from New York." Mercedes glanced over at Rachel and saw a puzzling look appear on her face. "Oh I know what your thinking. Why would anyone move from New York to Lima right!"

Rachel opened her mouth to answer but Mercedes was on a roll, "See the other guy, the freakishly tall one, their always together. He's not that bad looking I guess."

Just then Rachel felt an arm loop through hers.

"Hey Rach! What are we looking at?" Kurt followed the girls gaze and his eyes landed on his step brother and his gang of barbarian friends.

"Ew" Kurt turned towards Mercedes and stuck out his hand, "I'm Kurt by the way. Love your outfit." He nodded in aprroval and Mercedes beamed and shook his hand back, "Mercedes. Sweet Hat."

"Why Thank You! Lunch anyone?"

The three linked arms and took a step towards the cafeteria. They were smiling, happy to have found new friends and engrossed in each others company. They were completely unaware that they had just been picked up and were being watched by three upperclassmen.

"Go Home Freshman!"

The three were blindsided by a smack of cold, colored ice chips being thrown in their face. They stood frozen and Rachel felt the cold shiver down the front of her shirt. She heard the hallway erupt in laughter and beside her Mercedes screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Oh Hell to the No!"

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><p>AN I'll update soon.

_FinchelGeek95 Thanks for your review! This story will be loaded with Rachel/Shelby moments.. although not so much this chapter. And her childhood is definitely dramatic. We'll just have to wait and see why ;) _

_CurlyHairedGirl Glad to have sparked your interest! And their dad is a character that I made up for this story. We'll be introduced to him soon. _

_Geoera Glad you love it! And I would totally love a beta although I'm not entirely sure how that whole thing works. Message me though! Thanks :D_

_twilight2892 Thank you! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) _


	3. Chapter 3

**I've been meaning to put this chapter up. Im rushing to leave my house for school and so of course I decide to finish up the last bit of this chapter and post it before I leave. That's me (senior by day and a closet fanfic obsessor by night) Anyway I hope you enjoy! Thank you sooo much for the reviews! They make me all happy inside and help when I need the encouragement to write up the next chapter of this story. **

**ps. I didn't have time to write responses to the reviews but I will when I post next time...and the next chapter is already finished so it will be soon ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Santana and Quinn were leaning against a row of lockers waiting for their best friend Brittany to hurry up and get out of her class. The trio always walked down to the cafeteria together. Santana was twirling her hair between her fingers as her eyes landed on a sophomore who was walking out of an empty classroom. She thought it would be fun to give him her signature smoldering look and smirked when she saw it had the desired effect she was pining for. The kid's face turned a dark shade of red as he dropped his books and shuffled away when he realized the cheerleader was looking at him. Beside her Quinn was examining her manicured nails and looked rather bored.<p>

"Do we seriously have to drink Sylvester's special shake for lunch, because I don't think my stomach can take it anymore" Quinn grumbled.

"Ugh don't remind me. My stomach is still pissed at me" Santana clutched her abdomen as she remembered the disgusting strict health regiment Coach Sylvester had them on all summer.

Just then three of the varsity football players zoomed past them.

"Karofsky where's the fire?" Santana laughed as she watched Karofsky push his way down the hallway. The football player kept running, only briefly glancing back at Santana and she tilted her head to the side as he looked at her with complete fear.

"What the hell!" Santana yelled as she felt someone knock into her back sending her tumbling forward. If it weren't for all those years cheering, she would have most definitely ended up srawled on the floor but Santana caught herself just before that happened. She quickly whipped her body around, wondering which idiot was asking for a deathwish.

"Puck? What is your problem!" The brunette shrieked and stomped her foot on the floor.

Puck regained his balance and straightened himself up. Santana quickly took in her brother's appearance. The usual laid-back, cocky grin her brother permanently wore at school was gone. Instead his eyebrows were scrunched together in anger and he had that look in his eye. She knew that look from all the times she would bug him, purposely driving him to the point where he would snap and wrestle her to the ground putting her in a chokehold. When they were little, Puck went through a phase where he would sit and watch hours of wrestling on tv, unknown by their parents of course. They eventually caught on however when one day they walked in on Puck throwing himself off the couch yelling "body slam" as he landed on Santana who was laying on the floor. They immediately put a stop to the wrestling, but every now and then Puck would still use his moves on his sisters whenever they would get on his nerves. Santana cautiously took a step back.

"They're dead!"Puck roared and he took off down the hallway.

"Whose dead?" Santana raised her hand and yelled after her brothers receding figure. She looked over at her best friend but Quinn merely shrugged her shoulders.

A thumping sound of clumsy feet came barreling down behind her, "Karofsky slushied Rachel and Kurt!" Finn blurted at the cheerleader and he kept on running and disappeared around the corner.

Santana's mind took a moment to register the sentence that had just come out of the abnormally tall boy's mouth.

_Karofsky...that ape of a football player...slushied... MY sister?_

Quinn swore she saw fire flash behind her friends eyes.

"Out of my way Jew Fro!" Santana snarled as she shoved the poor freshman who was blocking her way and she too tore off down the hallway, her mind quickly thinking of a thousand different ways she was going to hurt Karofsky.

* * *

><p>"Okay. I officially hate high school." Kurt stood in front of the bathroom sink and stared at his reflection.<p>

Rachel and Mercedes were standing on either side of him, all three sporting the same slushie drenched look.

Rachel grabbed a handful of napkins and began pulling the clumps of ice out of her hair and drying the sticky dye off her face and neck. She felt completely humiliated. She had heard of course of the infamous slushie ritual that happened in the halls of McKinley. It was almost like a sick twisted right of passage where every year the new senior class took it upon themselves to conduct daily slushie facials, usually targeting freshman and other outcasts. Everyone knew about it, parents students and even the teachers, but instead of stopping or reporting it, the teachers would all simply turn their heads and allow this ridiculous form of hierarchy to continue.

"You think our brother's have found them yet?" Kurt asked as he ran a napkin under the sink.

"Brothers?" Mercedes asked as she scrubbed a napkin over her shirt.

"Yeah. My step brother. Finn? He's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box but hey...beggers can't be choosers." Kurt patted the moist napkin around the collar of his shirt in a lame attempt of cleaning up the blue dye. "This better come off at the dry cleaners." Kurt stopped scrubbing.

"Wait Rachel which one's your brother?" Mercedes gave up trying to take off the slushie all together.

"Noa-...Puck" Rachel corrected herself, " Puck Corcoran."

Mercedes gasped, "Your a Corcoran!"

Rachel raised her lip to the side and shrugged, "I am." She was used to people reacting that way when they found out she was the younger sister of the infamous Puck and Santana Corcoran. She knew her siblings had made quite a reputation for themselves, and every year without fail her teachers would always pale in fear upon learning she was a Corcoran, afraid that she might give them trouble like her brother and sister did. But every year she would prove them wrong and people quickly realized Rachel wasn't loud or obnoxious or a trouble maker like Puck and Santana. She had one best friend who she spent most of her time with and was known for having really good grades. Some people failed to see that she was just quiet and decided to label her as being a self absorbed, stuck-up snob.

Mercedes Kurt and Rachel snapped their heads towards the door as they heard shouting coming from the halls outside.

"They found them." Kurt said assuringly as he slicked his hand through his hair.

Rachel could hear her sisters unmistakable voice yelling obscenities in the hall over all of the other voices. The bathroom door swung open and the tiled room quickly filled with the loud sounds of the hallway. The three freshman caught a glimpse of the scene that was unfolding outside and their mouths hung open; Finn and Puck were being held back by Quinn and some other cheerleaders as they tried to throw punches at two of the jocks who threw the slushies; A teacher was trying to pry Santana off the bigger jock and she currently had her hands firmly wrapped around his neck. The kid's face was quickly turning a deep shade of red.

Santana's friend Brittany walked into the bathroom and the door closed behind her, muffling the shouts and sounds from the hallway.

"Hey little S. I thought you could use this." Brittany walked forward and stuck out her arm, "Santana left this at my house yesterday."

Rachel quickly recognized her sister's favorite top.

"Thanks Britt." She summoned up a smile and gladly accepted the shirt.

"Sorry I don't have anything for your friends to wear." The blonde cheerleader looked down at her own clothes, "I mean all I have is another cheerleading uniform and I don't think you'd want to wear it." She looked over at Kurt. "And I don't think it's your size." She turned towards Mercedes and looked geniunely sorry she couldn't help them.

"That's okay." Kurt smiled at the same time Mercedes answered, "Don't worry about it."

"Getting slushied sucks. I mean I don't know how it feels because I've never been slushied before... but I threw one at this kid once... and he told me it sucked...and that it was really cold." Brittany nodded her head and looked at three younger freshman before her.

Rachel opened her mouth to answer but she stopped when she heard a loud yell coming from the other side of the door. She quickly threw on Santana's clean shirt and headed outside with the others.

"CORCORANS! HUDSON! KAROFKSY! MILLER! IN MY OFFICE NOW!" The schools principle stomped his foot and yelled over the chaotic mess that had erupted in the hallway.

Rachel watched as the fighting and the yelling immediately stopped. She caught Santana's eye and her older sister yelled out to everyone in the hallway, "Anyone decides to mess with her again will have to deal with me!" She pointed towards Rachel and Rachel felt her cheeks redden.

"MISS CORCORAN ENOUGH!" Mr. Figgins yelled and one by one Puck, Finn, Karofsky, His two friends and Santana all followed behind him.

There was a sudden buzz that erupted in the halls as everyone began talking at once. Before long the entire school knew that there was a new Corcoran and rumors were spreading like wild fire that Santana had killed Karofksy because he slushied her little sister. For the rest of the day people stood clear away from Rachel and in all honesty, she didn't really mind.

* * *

><p>The bell had finally rung and the halls were once again empty. Santana, Puck and Karofsky found themselves seated outside Principle Figgins office awaiting to hear their punishment. Finn was the first to get called in and he had already left along with the other jock. The secretary kept glancing up at them and shaking her head in disappointment as she typed away on her keyboard. Santana really wished the ladies head would just shake right off.<p>

Karofsky shot Puck a dirty look and then scowled at the smug cheerleader, "Your so lucky your a girl." He said.

"Your so lucky I didn't cut your balls off." Santana gritted through her teeth and clenced her fists. Karofsky's scowl slowly disappeared and he gulped.

The sounds of the keys clicking on the keyboard stopped and the secretary tsked her tongue and shook her finger at Santana. The brunette unclenched her fist and slumped back in her seat. She folded her arms across her chest and glared at Karofsky.

Mr. Figgins door swung open and out walked Miller. He shot Puck a look and quickly ducked his head down but not before Puck saw the purple black eye and bloody nose that marked his face. Mr. Figgins glanced over at the remaining three perpetrators.

"Mr. Karofksy." Mr. Figgins called the husky football player's name and watched as the young man stood up, shuffling his feet and slumping his way into the office, "I have your father on the line." Mr. Figgins said as he closed the door.

Puck's foot was shaking up and down. He tucked his index finger under his thumb and pushed down until he heard it crack. Satisfied he moved on to his next finger and proceeded to push down..waiting to hear the loud gratifying crack.

Santana watched her brother continue to do this for a few seconds before she nudged her leg into his knee, "Hey."

Puck's leg kept on jumping and he kept on cracking his fingers.

"I nailed him real good." Puck said quietly, his eyes staring at the floor in front of him, his leg bouncing.

"He had quite the shiner." Santana agreed, not taking her eyes off her brother.

"I didn't want to stop." Puck squinted his eyes, "I was so angry. I just kept hitting and I didn't want to stop. I-"

"Hey." Santana interrupted her brother and put her hand on his bouncing knee, " Don't even go there. I know what your thinking Puck. And don't you dare even. You had all the right in the world to be angry. I was pissed the fuck off too." Santana said and she lowered her voice when she heard the clicking of the keyboard stop.

It picked up again and she whispered, "You are nothing like him Puck. You would never hurt the people you love."

Puck's leg stopped shaking and he stopped cracking his fingers.

"You think so." He said slowly nodding his head, still staring at the floor.

"I know so Noah Corcoran. You are one hundred times the man he will ever be." Santana blinked and did a slow eye roll, " I mean..you can act like a little girl sometime." She tried lightening the mood.

Puck snorted a laugh and Santana nudged his shoulder and smiled.

"He did deserve it though didn't he."

"Hell yes he did!" Santana said and the secretary slammed her fingers on the keyboard and looked up. Santana widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders, stifling a laugh.

Puck sniggered and Santana brought her finger up to her temple and twirled it around in a circle.

She was glad she got her brother laughing again and wasn't even scared about going in to see Figgins...that is until she heard it.

"Shit."

"What?" Puck asked as he watched Santana tilt her head to the side. She held up her hand

"I hear Manolos."

"What?" Puck spat, wondering who the hell Manolo was.

"Size sevens. Manolos." Santana nodded her head , " We are so fu-"

"Finish that sentence Santana Ava Corcoran!"

Puck whipped his head and shrunk into his seat as he saw his mother standing in front of him, her hand placed firmly on her hips, glaring at the two of them. If looks could kill...

"Seriously you guys! I had to get a phone call on the first day of school? The FIRST DAY!" Shelby walked over and sat down next to them, sighing she searched through her oversized bag and pulled out her phone, "I'm just going to turn this thing off. I'm afraid of answering it again."

"Sorry mom" Santana mumbled, "But in my defense I only choked the kid-"

"Oh in her defense. Tell me, daughter of mine, what possessed you to choke another student?" Shelby raised her hand and looked over at the secretary, who quickly averted her eyes and continued typing.

"Mom seriously though, the asshole slushied Rachel!"

Shelby decided to overlook the curse word that came out of her fiery daughter's mouth and instead focused on the last part of the sentence. This was new to her ears and Figgins certainly failed to mention that bit of information over the phone.

"Ah Mrs. Corcoran." Mr. Figgins had opened the door and Karofsky brought his head down as he quickly saw Mrs. Corcoran narrow her eyes at him.

"Figgins. Please. Call me Shelby. I've seen you enough over the years. We can drop the formalities." Shelby walked into the office and Figgins chuckled and held open the door, motioning for the younger Corcorans to do the same.

Mr. Figgins sat behind his desk and looked at the three faces before him. Santana was staring apathetically at him, Noah had his jaw clenched and looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else and Shelby looked...pissed off?

"Well. I called you down here Shelby because it is only the first day of the new school year and your children have already gotten into a fight. As you know I have a zero tolerance for fighting and I'm afraid they are facing suspension." He said with a thick accent.

Shelby nodded, " I understand Figgins." She clasped her hands in front of her and folded one leg over the other, " Now what I don't understand is why you failed to mention that my youngest was_ harrassed _in your school." Shelby spoke sternly and Mr. Figgins gulped clearly intimidated.

"Well you see..."

"No. I don't see. My children were simply responding to an act of violence that you and your staff have repeatedly overlooked."

Figgins pulled on his tie.

"Now I understand my children may have gone a little overboard and I thought I taught them better than to raise a hand at another person, " Puck and Santana shrank into their seats as their mothers words bit them, " But I don't think it is right that you punish them for defending their sister when you allow your students to walk around throwing slushies at others all day." She snapped.

The meeting went on and Shelby had managed to get her kids off the hook, promising that they would attend the Glee club as a result of their punishment...she knew her kids hated going.

They all walked out of the office and Shelby pulled them back before they headed off towards their class.

"I'm upset that you guys fought today. I gotta say I think you broke a new record Noah. Last year I thought it was bad being called in on the first week, but this ...this takes the cake." She said and Puck hung his head, nodding.

"However...I'm letting this one slide. I'm glad you both stood up for your sister." She said and couldn't help but smile as she saw her kids quickly raise their eyes.

"Now go finish the rest of your day and please behave my babies!" Shelby quickly kissed them and hugged them both.

"I've gotta get back to work. Have fun at glee! Say hello to Will for me" She winked and walked out of the school, clacking her heels.

Santana and Puck stood and watched their mother's receding figure, "Mom's awesome." They both nodded in agreement and decided it would be best to head to class.

* * *

><p>The last bell rang throughout the school and the empty halls quickly filled with students. There were students clambering to get home, while others made their way over to the locker rooms to get ready for practice. Santana walked out of her classroom and slowly made her way over to her locker, deciding to take as much time as humanly possible before heading over to the first glee meeting.<p>

She quickly sent her sister a text, telling her to meet her at the choir room. She pulled out her bag and stuffed all of her things inside. She closed the locker door and sighed.

_What a day!_

She heard her name being called and quickly looked up and smiled at the blonde cheerleader walking towards her.

"Hey B. Thanks by the way for earlier. Rachel told me you gave her my shirt."

Brittany grinned happily, "Of course! I couldn't stand seeing Little S so sad." and her smile faltered as she remembered the look Rachel wore after being slushied.

"Hey are you ready for Glee? I'm kind of excited for try-outs." Brittany lowered her voice as she revealed what she was secretly thinking about all day.

"I guess I'm ready" Santana grumbled as she remembered her promise to Figgins to attend every glee session. Brittany picked up her hand and stuck out her pinkie in front of Santana's frowning face.

The brunette couldn't help but smile and gave in and linked her own pinkie with Brittany's. The two headed down to the choir room.

Everyone from last year was already in there. Puck, Finn, Quinn, Tina, Artie, and Mike along with four new faces, Kurt, Mercedes, Matt and Rachel.

Santana strolled over and took an empty seat near her sister.

"Do I have to be here?" Rachel whined and looked pleadingly at her sister.

"If I have to be here then so do you." Santana answered and she crossed her legs.

"It's not that bad!" Brittany smiled, "I mean I totally thought it was going to be really lame when I first joined but Glee is actually a lot of fun. I love it." Brittany whispered the last part of her sentence so that only the two sisters would hear her.

"Well! Welcome back everyone!" Will Schuester clapped his hand and smiled warmly at the students that sat before him, "And a very warm welcome to those of you who are joining us for the first time today." Will glanced over at the fresh new faces.

He gave a speech about the Glee club, making sure to mention that they had placed in Nationals last year, which was held in Nashville. Sure they came in 10th place but it was still 10th in the nation. He announced that this year Nationals would be held in New York and the room was suddenly buzzing with excitement.

"Well as you guys may know, we welcome anyone who wants to join, but we still hold a little 'try-out' where new members perform for the group." He glanced at the new faces, "Are you guys ready to perform?"

Kurt shared a knowing look with Mercedes and glared up at Mr. Schuester, "Oh I was born ready. I have been preparing. I heard about the try-outs through my brother. Hi Finn" Kurt chuckled. Finn waved and forced a grin at his step brother's over enthusiasm.

"Great. Let's hear it." Will took a seat by the the piano and Kurt strolled over to the piano player, whispering the name of the song in his ear.

He stood in front of the group, cleared his throat and began belting out the words to 'Mr. Cellophane'

Everyone was surprised when they heard him hit those really high notes and when he finished Mr. Schuester stood up and clapped with the rest of the group.

"Thank you Kurt. That was fantastic. Guys what do we think?"

Kurt beamed at them and Finn shook his head and smiled," Welcome to Glee Kurt."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Kurt bowed and waved his hand like a beauty queen before he ran over and took his seat.

"That was excellent. Whose next?"

Mercedes stood up and decided to sing Aretha Franklin. The girl had a powerful voice and Mr. Schuester was thrilled. He was practically jumping in his seat and again, the group clapped and welcomed their new member. The same thing happened with Matt as he decided to sing 'Man in the Mirror' and again, the group clapped and welcomed him in.

"Okay. Last but most certainly not least. Rachel" Will said as Matt sat back down.

"Um. I don't have a song picked out." Rachel really didn't want to sing. She had stopped singing for fun a long time ago.

"Come on up Rachel." Will smiled and Rachel had no choice as her sister practically shoved her up towards the front. Rachel shot Santana a look and the older girl smirked back.

"I think I have just the song for you to sing. Trust me. You know the words to this song." Will smiled knowingly and he whispered in the piano player's ear. The musician smiled and his fingers touched down on the ivory keys and began the introduction of the selected song.

Will sat pleased with himself and waited to hear the brunette sing. He had heard form her mother that the girl's voice was exceptional, but she would always have to push her to sing.

When the introduction started Rachel froze. Of all the songs in the world...he had to pick this one? Her eyes widened and she stared at the eleven faces before her.

The piano player carried the tune and replayed the part when Rachel didn't sing. Will frowned.

"I'm sorry I can't do this." Rachel said and she ran out of the room. Puck and Santana both stood up. "I got this." Santana told her brother and she ran after Rachel.


	4. Chapter 4

**I think it's safe to say after reading this chapter you will all hate Robert Corcoran's guts...I hope you guys like it. I don't know why I was nervous to put it up lol. This is the first of many flashbacks and snippets of their lives in NY. Thank you sooo much again for the reviews! Is it normal to love every single one of you who has reviewed? **

* * *

><p>Rachel slid her back against the cool wall, landing softly with a thud on the schools floor. She let out a shaky breath and curled her knees up into her chest.<p>

Not only did Will want her to sing, but he wanted her to sing that song!

That dam song...

It brought back so many memories. So many feelings...her mind went hurling back into the past.

_New York City - 2002_

_Five year old Rachel Corcoran had just finished up her Broadway for Kids class. She had begged her parents to put her in because she wanted to be just like her Mommy one day and perform on stage. Rachel waved to her little friends goodbye, hugged the teacher and sprinted into the warm opening arms of her nanny, Grace Diaz._

_"Gracie Gracie! I learned a new song today! It's the one Mommy sings in her play! I learned it and I can sing it all by myself!" Rachel's mouth split into a wide grin. She was bouncing excitedly._

_"You did!" The older woman bent down and wrapped a wool scarf around the little girl's neck, smiling at the youngest Corcoran child. She had been working for the Corcorans for the past three years, ever since Mrs. Corcoran went back to work in the theater. She adored all three children dearly, but Rachel was her special love. The little girl was always so happy and buzzed around like a tiny ball of energy. _

_"Gracie today's Wednesday! Can we go to Daddy's office now so I can sing for him? Please. Pleaaase!" Rachel clasped her hands together and Grace laughed._

_"Well of course we can Rachel! We're going there right now." Grace zipped up Rachels coat and stood up, grabbing the little girl's hand. _

_The two stepped out into the chilly air. It was the month of November and the city was already decorated for the Holidays. The streets were extra crowded with window shoppers and plagued by camera-clad tourists that stuck out like a sore thumb. Like every other Wednesday before, the pair headed over to the Upper East Side where Robert Corcoran had his office. They hailed a cab and decided to get off a block away from the building, not wanting to wait in the traffic. _

_Rachel was happily skipping along the sidewalk singing the song outloud. "I'm practicing Gracie!" She looked up at her Nanny and couldn't wait to show her dad what she had worked so hard on._

_They reached the building on Park Ave with the gold plaque outside that read 'Robert D. Corcoran M.D. Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery'_

_Rachel pushed open the heavy door with Grace's help and ran right past the receptionist of the luxurious waiting room. The little girl was so short, the receptionist didn't even see her go by, she only glanced and noticed the Doctor's Nanny standing at the front door. _

_"Hello Mrs. Diaz, Dr. Corcoran is in a meeting. He should be done soon. Where's little Rachel?" The receptionist leaned over the desk to look for the cute faced brunette and frowned when she didn't see her. Out of the corner of her eye, the receptionist saw the main door swing close and a flash of soft brown curls whip by. _

_Rachel walked past the many different rooms and headed straight for her daddy's office. She loved Wednesdays. Not only did she have her singing class, but she also met up with her daddy for their special day. Noah had his special day on Friday. Santana had her special day on Monday and Rachel had her's on Wednesday. Her daddy would always surprise her with something different. Last week he took her to FAO Schwartz and they both danced on the giant piano. He even let her pick out any toy she wanted. She couldn't wait to see what special outing her dad had in store for today._

_Rachel rounded the corner and ran towards the closed door, her tiny hand was barely on the knob when she belted out in her highest voice, "Daddy look what I'm going to sing for you!"She hollered using her healthy set of lungs as she pushed the door open._

_The five year old suddenly gasped in shock as she saw her father, kissing this strange woman she had never seen before. She took a step back when she saw her Dad had his hands in places that people weren't supposed to be touching._

_ "Rachel!" Robert Corcoran tore away from the blonde lady, hastily zipping up his pants and wiping at his mouth._

_Grace gasped and let out a shrill cry as she came up behind the little girl. She bend down quickly, covering the five year olds eyes and apologized profusely. She scooped up Rachel, tucking her safely into her chest and ran out of the building._

_Grace Diaz spent the entire way back to the Corcoran residence consoling the crying little girl. They finally reached the empty apartment and Gracie carried Rachel over to the couch and sat her down. She bent down and ran her hands soothingly over the little girls soft hair. _

_"Rachel baby.." Grace was about to say something to the sniffling little girl when she heard the front door open with a bang. Heavy footsteps sounded throughout the apartment and Grace stood up as her eyes fell on Mr. Corcoran._

_"Grace a word." Robert's strangely calm voice sent a chill down the hispanic woman's spine. _

_Rachel watched as the two walked out of earshot and she could hear snippets of the conversation coming from the kitchen. Her daddy sounded real angry. The two reappeared within minutes, Grace's face was as white as chalk. _

_"Grace I need to have a very important conversation with my daughter." Robert barked. "Leave."_

_Grace didn't budge, she was too afraid to leave the little girl._

_"NOW" Robert roared and Rachel jumped. Grace ran out of the living room and disappeared into the kitchen._

_Robert turned his attention on his daughter. "Rachel. Sweetheart." Robert paced back and forth, running shaking hands through his hair._

_"Can you repeat to Daddy what you saw today..In the office."_

_Rachel refused to meet her fathers eyes, but he brought his hand under her chin and turned her head slowly, until her eyes looked up and and locked onto the man she was so excited to see only moments before._

_"Go ahead. What did you see?"_

_"I-I-... Why were kissing that lady Daddy? " Rachel nearly whispered, recalling what had frightened her earlier that day._

_Robert swore under his breath._

_"You said you kiss people you love. And you kiss mommy because you love her so much" Her lower lip quivered, " That wasn't mommy" She whispered, casting her eyes down._

_"Rachel. Honey. Listen to Daddy. This is going to be our little secret. Do you understand?"_

_Rachel looked up with puzzling eyes._

_"But-"_

_"NO! We will not tell mommy. This is a secret. Remember when we surprised Mommy with her necklace? It's kind of like that. We can't tell mommy or we will ruin the surprise."_

_Robert was satisfied with his answer and he ran a shaking hand through his hair. "Now what did you want to show me."_

_Rachel paused for a moment, her innocent mind mulling over her fathers words._

_"You were going to sing right?."_

_Rachel nodded._

_"Okay good sing for Daddy."_

_Rachel looked down at her hands._

_"But mommy-"_

_"NO!" Robert yelled, causing the little girl to jump. He suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe. He had perfected keeping his worlds separate, for years now he had successfully kept all of his affairs hidden away from his wife and his children. He was always in control. That is until today. Today. His world was crashing down around him. This wasn't happening. _

_"RACHEL YOU WILL FORGET WHAT YOU SAW TODAY AND YOU WILL NOT TELL YOU MOTHER." He had never felt so angry before. It came out of nowhere. _

_"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"_

_"But Daddy why were you kissing that lady? I don't understand what were you doing with her?"_

_Robert suddenly felt as if his throat were constricting. It was getting harder for him to breath. He picked up a vase and threw it against the floor as hard as he could, breaking it with a loud crash. He felt blood rush up to his face and in a blind state of rage he placed both of his hands on either side Rachel's head and shook it slightly, "YOU WILL KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT RACHEL"_

_"DO YOU HEAR ME!" Rachel began to cry and her little legs began kicking in protest. She tried to pull her fathers hands off._

_"Stop crying" He applied pressure. "STOP CRYING" And that's when he hit her._

_Rachel instantly stopped. Her body going limp. Grace ran in._

_"Mr. Corcoran! Please!"_

_Robert stood up and gave the woman a death glare, reminding her of the threat he made earlier._

_"Go to your room Rachel." he growled._

_"NOW!" The little girl sprinted off the couch._

_That's when it all began_

_..._

"Rach?"

Rachel was pulled out of her dark memory and she looked up at the voice. Santana was standing over her and crouched down beside her.

The cheerleader looked anxiously at her sister.

"You okay?"

Rachel let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding in and rested her chin on her knees. She nodded, "I told you I didn't want to be there."

Santana sighed and fell back into the wall, "I didn't think he was going to pick that song."

"Yeah well. He did." Rachel picked at the buckle on her flats.

The two sisters sat in silence for a moment before the older brunette spoke up, "You know Rach...maybe... it would be good... for you to sing."

Rachel turned her head to get a better view of her sister and rested her cheek on her knee.

"You should give it a try. You love to sing." Santana picked at her own shoe, " I know you do, don't tell me you don't. And you have such an amazing voice." Santana looked over and studied her sister's face, "No one in there has to know."

Rachel sighed. She understood what Santana was trying to say. Rachel had always loved to sing and once upon a time it was even her dream to make a career out of singing. But somewhere along the way, she stopped. She stopped dreaming. She stopped singing because it hurt too much. Her mom was always trying to get her to sing again. And every once in a while, when she was alone she would let her guard down and just pour everything out into a song and she would remember again why she loved it so much in the first place.

Rachel thought of what her mom would say... she could practically hear Shelby's voice, 'There's no reason for you to be afraid anymore baby.' She brought her eyes up to Santana's and barely whispered an answer, "Okay."

* * *

><p>The choir room was buzzing with noise. Artie had his hands laced in between Tina's and the two were giggling in each other's ear. Brittany was showing Mike and Matt a new dance move. Kurt had pulled up a chair by Finn and was talking about something which was making the older boy squirm in his seat. Mr. Schuester was talking with Mercedes about her singing, a goofy smile spread on his face. Puck was leaning back in his chair, smirking at Quinn who was telling him a story about her summer. He kept stealing side glances at the door and nearly fell over in his chair when he saw his sisters through the window.<p>

Rachel and Santana walked in and all of the conversations stopped, everyone looked over at the two girls.

"Will... I mean Mr. Schuester." Rachel was playing with her fingers and felt her cheeks get warm. "I'm sorry for running off like that."

Will smiled warmly, "That's okay"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sing now." Rachel tugged on her bottom lip.

"Of course." Mr. Schue walked over and took a seat by the piano as everyone else settled down around him.

Rachel stood in the middle of the room and caught Santana's eye. The cheerleader smiled and dipped her head once in assurance. Rachel glanced over at her brother and Puck winked back.

"When you're ready Rachel." Mr. Schue said.

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded at the piano player.

He brought his hands down and started the familiar tune.

Rachel opened her mouth and sang the first words softly, her voice laced with shyness.

"There was a time when men were kind  
>When their voices were soft<br>And their words inviting  
>There was a time when love was blind<br>And the world was a song  
>And the song was exciting<br>There was a time  
>Then it all went wrong"<p>

She closed her eyes and thought of everything. Feeling the words for the first time. She let herself get lost in the song.

I dreamed a dream in time gone by  
>When hope was high<br>And life worth living  
>I dreamed that love would never die<br>I dreamed that God would be forgiving  
>Then I was young and unafraid<br>And dreams were made and used and wasted  
>There was no ransom to be paid<br>No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night  
>With their voices soft as thunder<br>As they tear your hope apart  
>As they turn your dream to shame<p>

He slept a summer by my side  
>He filled my days with endless wonder<br>He took my childhood in his stride  
>But he was gone when autumn came<p>

And still I dream he'll come to me  
>That we will live the years together<br>But there are dreams that cannot be  
>And there are storms we cannot weather<p>

I had a dream my life would be  
>So different from this hell I'm living<br>So different now from what it seemed  
>Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.<p>

Rachel was breathing hard, her chest rapidly rising and falling. There was only a very brief moment of silence and then her ears were met with an explosion of sound. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the smiling faces of the glee club in front of her.

Kurt leapt from his seat and began clapping and shouting ,"That's my best friend!" Pretending to wipe false tears out of his eye, he sniffed, "Bravo! Bravo!"

Puck clapped really hard and wore a look that only a proud brother could wear. Santana couldn't help herself and sprang from her seat. She engulfed Rachel in a tight hug, unaware of the gasps and strange looks she recieved from the people around the room.

It wasn't everyday they saw Santana soft's side.

Santana's eyes were misted and she smiled happily, "I told you." She said in her sisters ear and Rachel nodded smiling as well.

She felt as if this giant weight had been lifted off her shoulder. Singing that song finally after all of those years felt...strangely gratifying.

Mr. Schuester couldn't contain himself. He swore that was the best voice he had ever heard on any of his students. The girl had such raw talent. They had Nationals in the bag.

The rest of the glee club couldn't understand why the little Corcoran was afraid to sing in the first place.

"If I had your voice Rachel, I'd sing all day every day and rub it right in people's faces!" Mercedes laughed.

"You have an amazing voice little S!" Britt hugged Rachel.

"That was so awesome Rach." Quinn hugged her best friend's little sister too.

Rachel was beaming and her eyes landed on Finn who was standing awkwardly tall beside her.

She looked up and she felt her cheeks get warm again.

"That was...like woah...that was awesome Rach." Finn stuffed his hands in pocket and bounced on the balls of his feet.

Rachel grinned, "Thanks Finn."

Finn smiled back, his cute dimples framing his mouth and he noticed how pretty Rachel's smile was. Suddenly he panicked.

_What are you doing? Snap out of it dude This is Puck's little sister._

_She has really nice legs though_

_mailmanmailmanmailman_

Finn let out a strangled laugh," Um way cool little dude" He ruffled the top of Rachel's hair and quickly walked away.

Rachel blinked back suddenly confused and frowned as she smoothed out her hair.

_Little dude? _

"Well guys. Let's call that a wrap!" Mr. Schuester clapped his hand as he looked out at the promising group before him.

* * *

><p>Later that night, the Corcorans were all spread out throughout the house. Santana was in her room, listening to music and video chatting with Brittany. Puck was in his room, shirtless, staring at his flexed reflection in the mirror. He kissed his rock hard biceps, never noticing his mother lingering in the door.<p>

Shelby rolled her eyes and headed down the hall towards Rachel's room.

She stopped in the open door and knocked signaling her arrival. Rachel looked up from her spot on the bed and put down the book she was reading. She smiled as her mom made her way over towards her.

Shelby pulled back the covers and slipped beside Rachel, snuggling the younger girl closer. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at her daughter.

"Today was quite a day huh?" Shelby ran her fingers lazily through Rachel's hair.

Rachel nodded, "You can say that."

"First the whole slushee fiasco." Shelby frowned as she remembered having to drive over to McKinley earlier that afternoon.

"What am I going to do with your brother and sister?" Shelby asked, " You know when I was in McKinkey I used to get slushied all the time." Shelby's eyes dazed over.

Rachel gasped at this little revelation. "You?"

Shelby nodded, " Yep. You see in highschool, I was so very different from the way I am now. I was, um, how can I say this, a very driven young girl. I knew what I wanted and I didn't really care what other people thought about me. I knew I was destined to leave this town and I threw myself into singing and acting. I guess you can say I was a little over the top. Ask Will, I'm sure he would love to bring that up." Shelby chuckled.

"What happened?" Rachel asked mesmerized.

" People used to call me mean names, like manhands and they would make fun of my nose all of the time. But I didn't care. Not really. Yeah it hurt but I just knew I was going to leave Lima and go to New York. And then I did. And I made it all the way. You know the rest of the story. I met your father when I was just a struggling actress waitressing to help pay the bills. And then Noah came along.."

Rachel was listening intently, "Do you regret anything mom?"

Shelby stopped and stared closely at her daughter, "Never. No regrets. I realized that I had been chasing this dream and when I finally got there I thought that that was it. There could never be anything better, I could never feel happier. And then that all changed when I had you three. You guys are my everything. I love you more than I love life itself."

Shelby reached down and gently kissed the top of her daughter's forehead, she traced her fingers through her hair, silently thinking it would be best not to bring up her father's phone call. Speaking of phone calls.

"Will called."

Rachel turned to face her mother.

"He couldn't believe I never told him you had a voice like _that_. And then he told me he was going to beat me at Nationals."

Rachel's lip curved in a smile.

"I told him It doesn't count though. He's only winning this year because all three of my kids are on his team." Shelby winked and poked Rachel's nose.

"I'm proud of you baby girl. For singing today."

The tiny teenager sighed and nodded her head stifling a yawn.

Shelby kissed her daughter one more time before she crawled out from under the covers.

"Good. Your tired. You can fall asleep early." She tucked the cover's under Rachel's body.

"Night mom." Rachel extended her arms out for a hug. Shelby bend down and hugged her daughter, "Sweet dreams Rach"

She walked over to the light switch and flicked it off. She stood in the doorway for a moment as she watched Rachel find a comfortable sleeping position, then she slowly pulled the door.

"Love you mom." Rachel mumbled.

Shelby smiled, "Love you too Rach." and closed the door.

* * *

><p>AN Ill post the next chapter asap.

_NinjaGleek21- Glad you liked it! haha and what did you think about the song and their dad lol_  
><em>banjojd- Thanks! Hope you liked the fluff between Rachel and Shelby..there will be more of course ;)<em>  
><em>CurlyHairedGirl- Thanks for the awesome review! Haha I loled :D <em>  
><em>I-taylorlautner- You are awesome! Thank youu!<em>  
><em>bforethesunsets- Ahh Thanks! And for now Shelby and Will are just close friends...for now ;)<em>  
><em>EmZ711-I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis :) lol <em>  
><em>FinchelGleek95- Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the ShelbyRach moment. _


	5. Chapter 5

**I decided to create this chapter last minute...kind of like a little filler chapter if you will. I Hope you like. Sorry for the delay school is already kicking my ass and to top it off my body decides to go and catch a nasty cold. Oh well plus side I get to miss tomorrow/today. Anyway Let me know what you think! It's always great to get reviews ;) **

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><p>The rest of the week had gone by pretty fast and before they knew it, it was already Friday. The Corcorans were once again rushing to get out of the house on time.<p>

Rachel was sitting down at the bar stool in the kitchen fully dressed and ready to go. Her bag was splayed out in front of her and she was drumming her fingers against the marble countertop. The young brunette sighed as she saw the time. Rachel rarely hated anything but she very much hated being late to school. She watched perplexed as her sister ran around the house with a scowl etched in her brows. The cheerleader was currently searching for something. Rachel didn't know what it was, all she knew was that every room had already undergone the wrath of hurricane Santana. Couch cushions began flying down the hall and the sound of a snarl and a grunt let her know Santana was currently ripping apart the den. Noah ran down the stairs for the thousandth time. He kept going up and down looking everywhere for his jersey, yelling out every five seconds as if the jersey was magically going to call out it's location. Her mother just looked as if she were seconds from pulling out her hair.

"Ma! Where's my jersey! It's not in my room!" Puck yelled for the umpteenth time as he rushed over to the kitchen and began opening up the cabinets.

Shelby's voice boomed from the top of the stairs, "NOAH THE LAST TIME I WORE YOUR JERSEY I DON"T REMEMBER WHERE I LEFT IT!"

Puck groaned in frustration at his mother's response.

_I hate when she says that_

Rachel sat and watched him incredulously, "Noah" She raised an eyebrow, "Why would your jersey be in there?"

Puck stopped rummaging around the pots and pans and looked over at his sister, "Shush midget," realizing the little shrimp had a point.

He stood up and stormed off in the direction of his room...again... as Rachel giggled after him shaking her head.

Santana stormed into the kitchen, her perfectly curled ponytail flying behind her.

"Stop laughing at whatever it is your laughing at and help me look for my lucky hair tie." The cheerleader ordered as she began looking around the counter, opening and closing cabinets and searching around the pots and the pans.

Rachel laughed harder, "You two are impossible."

Santana's head whipped around and she turned her eyes into slits as she watched her sister slide off the bar stool and grab Noah's car keys.

"Your hair tie is hanging on my bathroom doorknob. You left it there when you used my hair straightener yesterday." Rachel walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the front door, not catching the look of realization that settled across the other girls face. Santana snapped her finger and ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Rachel had her hand on the frosted front door and was about to step outside before something red caught her eye. She yelled into the house, "Noah your jersey is over here in the living room and I'm in the car!"

She heard an audible yell quickly followed by Puck's thundering footsteps running down the stairs. Rachel shook her head and walked outside.

_Ridiculous_

It wasn't long before the rest of them filed out of the house. Puck ducked underneath his mother's outstretched arm wearing his jersey as she lightly tapped his back, ushering him quickly outside. Shelby held the front door open and turned her head to face inside, "Come on San. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go."

Santana jogged out and ducked under her mother's arm as she too received a light tap on her backside.

"Oh ma Rach has to find a ride home today." Puck slid into the driver's side of the car.

Shelby locked the door and rushed down the stone steps. She stopped short, turning around in her heels and balancing her oversized bag, phone and coffee mug in her hands, "Wait I thought you were going over Kurts?"

"I am!" Rachel called out from the backseat.

"Okay. Have a good day. I'll see you all at the game later!" Shelby called and blew a kiss as she pulled open the door of her Range Rover.

Puck waved and backed out of the driveway.

"Click it or tick it!" Rachel sing-songed as she sat back comfortably in her seat relieved to finally being en route to school. She pulled her seatbelt securely over her body and clicked it in place.

Puck immediately reached for his and Santana spoke up, "Shut it or shove it." Mocking her sister's voice she held up a fist and in return received a whack to her arm from Rachel.

* * *

><p>The halls of McKinley were a sea of red and white. It was the first game of the season and everyone had on the schools colors. The cheerleaders were all wearing their uniforms, as usual, and the varsity football team wore their jerseys. Even the teachers were wearing some form of Titan gear.<p>

"I'm so glad red and white are the school colors. It goes perfect with my complexion." Kurt was standing at Rachel's locker looking at his reflection in her mirror.

Rachel grabbed her books and smiled at her friend, lightly shaking her head, "Your modesty never ceases to amaze me." Rachel closed the metal locker and linked her arm through Kurt's as the two made their way to spanish class.

"I heard the team is doing a lot better this year. Maybe that means we'll actually win a game." Kurt ran a hand through his hair and let his eyes linger a little longer than necessary on a well dressed upper classmen.

"My gaydar is sending me all types of signals right now." Kurt whispered into Rachel's ear and she followed his gaze.

"No I don't think so. Santana had a thing with him last year." Rachel shook her head and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, remembering catching her sister sneaking that guy out of the house on more than one occasion. She tried to recall his name. Santana had a habit of giving the strangest nickname for every guy she ever saw and Rachel suddenly remembered this particular guy was dubbed 'Licorice.'

"Did she 'have a thing' with everyone in this school?"Kurt deadpanned. "Besides you said 'had.' Like I said...gaydar." He pointed at himself, "No guy can pull that look off and be straight." Kurt strolled into Mr. Schuester's class and the two sat beside each other.

"Hey Mr. Schue." Rachel waved and Will Schuester looked up from his desk, smiling at two of his favorite new glee members.

"Hey guys. Have you been working on your glee assignment for Monday?"

"Oh no need to worry Mr. Schue we have the best song picked out. Right Rach?" Kurt leaned forward in his seat, bulging his eyes at Rachel and tightly smiling.

"Yup." Rachel nodded right along with him, even though they both knew they would be working on the song last minute Sunday night.

Will seemed to have bought it and smiled warmly as he pulled out his lesson plans.

The bell rang and the last bit of students trickled into the class and took their seats. Everyone seemed to be having the same conversation, and Rachel heard the words "football" and "party" coming out of everyone's mouth.

Will began the class and made his students open up their textbooks and answer the questions on the last page of the chapter they were currently on.

Sighing, Rachel pulled out her book and turned to the page, clicking her pen and reading on the different forms of conjugating verbs.

_Yo hablo_

_Tu hablas_

Rachel scribbled her answers down and felt a sudden buzz in her pocket, causing her to jump. She glanced up, making sure Will had his back turned before pulling out her phone to check it underneath the desk.

**We r so going 2 this party right? **

Rachel looked up and caught Kurt staring at her expectantly. The brunette shrugged her shoulders. She had heard of course of the party, it was all Puck and Santana had talked about for the past two days. One of the football players had an empty house, his parents were away for the weekend which meant, victory or no victory the football team was still going to celebrate. But whenever Rachel asked if she could go they would both immediately answer without hesitation.

_No._

* * *

><p>"Okay Ladies think of tonight as practice. Practice for our win at nationals. Anyone of you mess up and it's straight suicides for the next two weeks. Understood. Good."<p>

Sue Sylvester stood in front of her Cheerios wearing her signature red tracksuit. She blew her whistle and watched her girls file out onto the crowded field.

Santana linked her pinkies with Brittany and Quinn, giving Brittany's an extra squeeze and grumbled, " She is such a nazi," but her scowl quickly fell as she walked out onto the grass and stood in front of the crowded bleachers. Santana loved everything about cheering. She loved her uniform and the power that came along with it, she loved performing in front of the crowd, and she loved knowing everyone in the stands had their eyes on her and the squad. Forget the lame football team.

Santana caught her mother's eye and smiled as Shelby stood up and waved, "Go Santana!"

Rachel, Kurt and Mercedes were sitting beside her and Rachel waved and beamed down at her sister. Santana nodded a grin and raised her pom poms, shaking them for the crowd.

Finn and Puck were in the locker room with the rest of the team, pumping themselves up.

The two best friends grabbed onto their helmets and butted heads before turning towards their teammates.

"Alright guys. Let's go kick some ass!" Puck roared and the football players answered with roars of their own.

"Let's go Titans!" He screamed and took off down the tunnel towards the field. Puck felt his body vibrate as he stormed onto the grass and heard the roar of the crowd.

He fed off the energy and knew he could do this every night for the rest of his life and never get tired of it.

Shelby stood up and cupped her hands over her mouth, "Let's go Noah! Come on Titans!"

Kurt chuckled, "_Noah,_" laughing at the name he knew for a fact the captain of the football team loathed. Rachel nudged his shoulder and clapped loudly as the guys took the field. She never missed any of her brother's games.

The two teams met at the fifty yard line and the ref blew the whistle, signaling the beginning of the game.

The teams were neck and neck the entire four quarters. Shelby spent the majority of the time yelling on the bleachers, bad mouthing the ref and jumping up and down excitedly when her son scored a touchdown, making sure everyone knew the captain was in fact her son.

The Titans won the game when Finn scored the last touchdown and Burt Hummel and Shelby Corcoran couldn't contain their excitement.

"This is so embarrassing. There should be a law against this or something." Kurt leaned away from the crazed parents and Mercedes couldn't stop laughing.

"Mom we'll meet you at the car okay." Rachel stood up from the bleachers, ignoring the fact that she couldn't feel her legs from sitting on the metal bench for so long. Shelby nodded her head and waved her hand at her youngest while trying to get Puck's attention.

"I'll see you later dad." Kurt called to his father and the trio made their way down the stands, maneuvering through the hoards of people. All of Lima seemed to be at the game. Rachel heard her name being called and jaggedly searched through the crowd looking for the owner of the voice.

Santana jogged up towards her sister, "Rach. Tell mom I'm getting a ride with Q. I needa go get ready so I'll meet you guys at home okay."

"Santana hurry up!" Quinn called out through the crowd and the blonde cheerio was standing with Brittany and two other cheerleaders.

"I'm coming!" Santana hollered with a frown on her face and turned back towards Rachel, "Jesus Christ that girl has no freaking patience. Don't forget to tell mom."

Santana squeezed her sister's shoulders not bothering to hear a response and tore off in the direction of her friends.

Beside her, Rachel felt Mercedes stiffen and she turned towards her friend about to ask her what was wrong, when she saw her brother walking in her direction. Rachel slyly smiled at Mercedes with an omniscient look on her face.

"Noah that was amazing! That pass you threw in the end. Perfect spiral. Just like the pros." The brunette beamed at her brother and the star football player ruffled his little sister's head. He didn't tell anyone, but her compliments were always his favorite.

"You saw that right!? Thanks midget." He smiled at Rachel and winked at Mercedes. Finn came bounding up behind him and it was Rachel's turn to squirm.

"Nice goal Finn." Kurt patted his step-brother's shoulder and Finn frowned.

"Kurt I think you mean touchdown." Mercedes interjected.

"Same difference." Kurt waved his hand and Finn nodded pleased with himself, reliving his winning touchdown.

"We'll see you guys at the house!" Puck nodded his head and the two walked off.

Mercedes let out a breath and Rachel laughed in response.

"Girl you heard the boy. To your house!"

* * *

><p>As usual, the Corcoran household was filled with teenagers. Shelby was used to having her kids friends over all the time and she preferred it that way. She would much rather have her kids under her roof, then having them going off somewhere else doing god knows what. She knew they were going to a friends party and Shelby was all for the kids socializing, as long as they didn't do anything illegal.<p>

She decided to pull out her phone and see what Will was up to.

Upstairs, Santana was walking out of her mother's shower. Quinn was currently using her own bathroom. She wrung out her hair, wrapped her fluffy towel firmly around her body and padded down the hall.

"Ughh faster!"

The brunette froze mid step as she passed by her brother's door. She tilted her ear towards the sounds and squinted her eyes.

"I'm trying!"

She heard the unmistakable sound of Frankenteens voice.

"Gotta go deeper man! Cmon ughh!" Her brother grunted.

The cheerleader couldn't resist, smirking she pushed open the door and covered her eyes with her manicured hand as she spoke, "Umm excuse me. Yeah-I always knew you two were gay for each other...but seriously? C'mon Noah... could you keep it down. Mom and Rachel are downstairs and the girls are right next door. Have some consideration."

Puck hit pause on the xbox controller and tore his eyes from the tv. He scowled as he saw his sister standing in the doorway sporting her usual smirk and he grabbed the nearest thing closest to him and threw it at her full force.

"GET OUT!"

Santana dodged the pillow, feeling her towel slip a little. She cackled and wiggled her eyebrows as she caught Finn staring at her. The poor football player felt his face redden and he quickly looked back at the tv. Puck scrambled to his feet and made a quick grab at her, but the cheerleader yelled out a squeal and darted for her room. He slammed his door shut and sulked his way back over to the black couch.

"Fucking sisters man" He gripped the controller and yelled, "FIND YOUR OWN WAY TO THE PARTY!"

He heard laughter coming from the room next door and his sister screamed back, "Mom's letting me drive the Range Rover I don't need your stupid car."

"FINE THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T DRINK!" He smirked at the silence that followed. He knew he got her there. "Alright where were we. Okay go go go... the left dude. Get the left!" Puck punched the little button and shouted orders at Finn as the two of them continued on playing Black Ops.

Santana sat on her bed opposite Brittany who was laying belly down with her legs kicking in the air.

"Shit. I didn't think about that."

Just then her bathroom door opened and Quinn stepped out fully dressed and ready to go.

"What happened?" The blonde asked as she sat on Santana's vanity, touching up her makeup.

" My dumbass brother happened. I could drive. I just can't drink. Or I'll find someone else to drive us home." The brunette grabbed her phone and began scrolling through her contacts, trying to find a person who would do her the favor.

They heard the honk of a car horn and Quinn walked over to the window to check to see who was outside.

"The guys are here. Come on S. Let's go, we'll worry about that later." The blonde said as she saw their friends car parked in the driveway.

Santana sighed and walked over to her closet, pulling out her designer jeans and a halter top.

She pulled on her clothes and quickly put on black eyeliner and mascara and smacked her lips in satisfaciton, "K. Let's go ladies."

The trio walked out of her room as Finn and Puck were leaving his.

Santana shot her brother a dirty look and ran down the stairs in front of him.

Shelby waved goodbye to the teenagers as they left her house and turned to face her kids.

"You two know the drill. Behave, Noah look out for Santana, Santana look out for Noah. No drinking!" She pointed her finger and widened her eyes at both of them.

"Yes mom. We know mom" The two nodded their heads, anxious to get to the party already.

"Okay. Be home no later than 12:30" She pulled both of them in for a hug.

"C-Can I go to the party?" The three Corcorans turned their heads and stared at the youngest standing before them.

"No!" "_Bye_ Rachel!" "If you want to I don't see why not?" Puck, Santana and Shelby all answered at the same time.

"No mom! She can not go!" Puck said and Santana agreed right away with her brother, "Yeah. Your a baby." and the two walked out of the house, ending that conversation.

Rachel frowned after them and put on her best pouty face.

"Next time baby." Shelby pulled her in for a hug, "You kids can have fun here! Oh and sweetheart, Will is coming over for a glass of wine We'll keep you guys company."

Rachel internally groaned and squirmed out of her mother's hug. She tried. She made her way back down to the basement where Kurt and Mercedes were battling it out on Wii Sports.

"So. What did they say?" Kurt asked as he stood in front of the giant tv, throwing air punches at the screen. He knew Rachel. He didn't even have to ask the question because he knew his friend always let her older siblings dictate her life.

"They said no." Rachel said quietly as she sat down on the leather couch.

Kurt paused the game and glanced up at his best friend, pursing his lips and squinting his eyes.

"Rachel Barbara Corcoran," He stood in front of her and the brunette couldn't help but suddenly feel worried by the crazed look that appeared on her friends face. Trouble always followed.

"Let's go check out that party."

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><p>AN: I think I got the football lingo right lol. And I'm not sure if the Mckinley mascot is even the Titans...but oh whell for this story it is lol. I'll update asap.

Thanks again for the reviews! I'll answer some of the questions you guys left.

_CurlyHairedGirl: He is such a douche lol and for now they are just close friends.  
>NinjaGleek21: Hahaha thanks for the awesome review and the fabulous cooke! Lol and there will be lots of drama when that phone call comes up.<br>BanjoJD: Thanks for the review! we'll slowly start to look back into their lives and you'll see that there is def more to Robert's story than meets the eye.  
>bforethesunsets: I definitely have something in store for those two, but I never thought about having Robert find out...hmm interesting idea lol ;) thanks!<em>


	6. Chapter 6

**I tried to get this up as soon as possible! I'm rushing off to school lol and wanted to post it before I left. Sorry in advance for the grammatical errors, I didn't get a chance to really edit it. But hope you like. Thanks again for the amazing beyond amazing reviews!**

* * *

><p>"I don't think this is a good idea" Rachel chewed on her bottom lip silently going over every reason in her head as she led the way up the winding staircase.<p>

Kurt and Mercedes were following behind her, their footsteps pounding onto the wooden floor.

"Of course it's a good idea." Kurt stated matter-of-factly and brushed his hand as he followed his brunette friend towards the 'forbidden' bedroom. He had been going over the Corcoran household for a while now and it was safe to say he knew the entire house like his own, all except one room.

Rachel slowly crept down the hall and held her hand on the door. Her insides were screaming at her to just stop, turn around and continue on playing a nice game of Wii Sports downstairs. Instead her fingers twisted the cool metal knob and she pushed the door open and walked into Santana's room.

Kurt looked around in awe, "So this is what the inside of the devils lair looks like?" and animatedly waved his hands, failing at hiding his excitement. His eyes soaked up every detail; noting the vanity strewn with palettes and brushes of mac make-up , the collection of different perfume bottles which appeared to be Santana's very own personal fragrance department sitting on a mirrored tray, the flat screen tv mounted onto the wall across the bed. He glanced over at the shelf that held countless cheerleading trophies and the board of pictures tacked up on the older girl's wall, a collage of her and her friends all smiling and making silly faces. Whenever Kurt would be over Rachel's, this bedroom door would always be closed. It was no secret that he and Santana weren't exactly fond of each other. However, he would always hear the trickling of shouts and laughter coming out of the older girls room and he always found himself silently wondering what the cool high school cheerleader and her popular friends were doing in her mysterious room that was so fun.

"Did I mention you guys have an amazing house?" Mercedes walked over and sat on top of the dark red comforter of Santana's queen sized bed, the smell of Chanel Chance perfume reaching her nose.

"Thanks." Rachel shifted her weight on her foot, looking uncomfortable and she watched as Kurt walked over towards the walk in closet.

"Jackpot!" He pulled open the door and ran his hands through the many pieces of fabric, his eyes bulging and his mouth drooling over the shoe rack and designer bags that draped the cheerleaders closet.

"Oh my gosh. Santana has impeccable taste." Kurt leafed through the clothes," Too bad she has to wear that horrible polyester uniform everyday." He stopped when he spotted the perfect top. His fingers waved with contempt and he pulled it off the hanger. Kurt walked over towards Rachel and thrust the shirt in her face. "Go put it on," spinning her around and pushing her towards the bathroom.

Rachel groaned and sighed as she caved, mumbling something about pushy best friends.

"She's not going to like that I'm wearing her clothes, especially this one." Rachel pulled her arms through the sleeves of the shirt. "She hasn't even worn this one yet and that goes against the rule that we have about sharing articles of clothing." Rachel walked out with a pout on her face. She thought that by saying she didn't have anything to wear to the party, Kurt would snap out of his crazed idea of going. But instead it only vamped him up more and her exuberant friend jumped at the prospect of going 'shopping' in her older sisters closet.

"You look fab!" Kurt clapped his hands and Mercedes nodded in agreement, "Hot mama!"

"Okay people. Let's go." Kurt led the way out of the room this time, and Rachel turned off the lights, closing the door behind her.

The three tiptoed their way back downstairs, stopping just before the landing and Mercedes poked her head around the wall and glanced towards the dining room on the left, "It's so weird seeing teacher's outside of school." Kurt and Rachel stuck their head around the wall as well and watched as their teacher, Mr. Schue, nursed a glass of wine in his hand. Shelby and Will were both smiling and laughing, unaware that they were being watched by the three young teens.

Kurt whispered, "You sure they won't notice that we're gone?"

Rachel whispered right back, "Positive. This happens almost every Friday night. First they drink a glass of wine. Then one glass turns into three and they laugh about the good old days. Next thing you know moms singing every single song from her Broadway repertoire with Will singing back-up."

_Torture if you ask me. _

Rachel tore her gaze away from her mother noting how happy and carefree she seemed at the moment. She quietly led them across the foyer and the three friends crept out into the night. Rachel's nerves were tingling. The young brunette tried shoving the fact that she had just snuck out of her house to attend a senior football players party to the very back of her mind and found a pressing question popping forward.

"Kurt how _exactly_ are we getting there?" Rachel paused and scrunched up her eyebrows suddenly wondering how three unlicensed teenagers were going to get to a party that was practically across town.

"Don't worry I got it all covered." Kurt said assuringly as he scrolled through his phone.

_That_ statement coming out of _his_ mouth _always_ made Rachel worry.

* * *

><p>On the other side of town, clear across from the affluent gated community of Lima Heights Adjacent, the house party was in full swing. Everybody who was anybody from McKinley High was in attendance. Music poured from the two story house, cars were parked haphazardly up along the street, some even strewn on the lawn. Teenagers were crawling all over Kyle Smith's house that just so happened to be situated at the very end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Lucky for Kyle Smith, the old widowed man who lived next door turned off his cochlear implant at night and the family that lived on the opposite side was currently upstate for the weekend.<p>

Inside, there was barely enough room to stand. Two guys on the team had managed to score kegs and there was currently a keg-stand race going on in the kitchen. The living room was converted into a full out dance floor and the backyard was hosting a beer pong tournament.

Puck stood at one side of the long table in deep concentration. He closed one eye and held his arm out, arching it slowly back and forth. He finally flicked his wrist and roared in excitement as the neon orange ping pong ball landed into the last red cup on the opposite side of the table with a _plunk_.

Finn high fived him and the two laughed at Mike Chang as he grudgingly brought the red plastic cup to his mouth, tipping the contents down his throat.

"Undefeated. Whose ready to loose next!" Puck's voice rang out through the crowd and he winked at the group of girls that surrounded him, suddenly giving them his undivided attention.

Santana was inside standing around the kitchen table squished between Brittany and Quinn. The three cheerleaders were surrounded by their friends (mostly football jocks) who all had their hands held up in front of them.

"Okay Okay I got one. Never have I ever made out with a dude." One of the jocks said and all the guys laughed and high fived each other as the girls all pushed one finger down and gulped the warm beer from inside their red cups. Santana quickly glanced around the table and she noticed she had the most fingers down.

_Dam I suck at this game_

"Go Q your turn!" She nudged her friend laughing, feeling slightly buzzed.

"Alright guys. Your gonna pull that one.. I'll pull this one. Never have I ever made out with a girl." Quinn smirked and there was an echoing "Ohhh" as the guys all dropped a finger and reached for their cups. Brittany pushed her finger down too and lifted her cup up to her mouth and everyone's eyes were drawn on the blonde girl.

"What? There's nothing wrong with sweet lady kisses." She tipped back her cup and there was another chorus of applaus and excitement from the guys.

"Threesome!" One of the guys yelled and everyone was laughing. Quinn raised her eyebrow and stared questioningly at Brittany for only a moment before she decided it was best she just let that one go. Quinn joined in on the laughter, after all of these years she still didn't understand the things that come out of the girl's mouth sometime. She shoved her elbow into Santana's side and the tanned girl jumped.

"Your turn S!" Quinn laughed.

"Wha..R-Right! Okay" The brunnette shook her head quickly darting her eyes around the table before taking a deep breath and bringing her finger up to her chin, "Never have I everrrr...nope did that. _Yep_ did that too." She smirked at a memory. Suddenly a steel grin fell on her face and her raspy voice spoke out confidently, "Never have I ever got caught in the locker room solo with my pants down AHEM ADAM!" Santana squared her eyes at the boy standing across from her, offering him his own cup and the howl of laughter that erupted from the table was deafening as Adam's face turned bright red . He snatched the cup from Santana's outstretched arm.

"Bitch" He mumbled and Santana thrust her hand forward and smacked the red cup from Adam's lips, "Call me bitch again, Asswipe." Adam gasped as beer spilled all over his front but bit back an insult.

"I'm so over this game. Thanks for the laughs Adam." She blew the boy a kiss and grabbed her friends hands, pulling the two blondes away from the table. The trio made their way towards the backyard and pushed passed the drunken bodies.

"Hi Kevin!" Brittany waved her hand and jumped excitedly as one of the guys stood in front of her, blocking her way outside.

"Hey Brittany." Kevin wrapped his arm around the taller blonde's shoulder and nodded his head in the direction of her two friends.

"You guys I'll be right back, Kevin told me he had a one eyed snake and he said I could totally pet it if I want too." Brittany smiled naively at her two friends. The looks that fell across Quinn and Santana's faces were hysterical.

The two sputtered, before they both shot Kevin a death glare, "Britt he doesn't have a snake." Quinn clamped her hand around her friends wrist and glared up at Kevin, "_He has an inchworm_" She growled and led her friend outside.

"_Ass_" Santana seethed as she pushed past him, shoving the large jock into the wall.

Once outside the brunette scanned the party scene, accepting a cup from Kyle Smith. She stood against the railing of the deck, laughing with her friends. She didn't know how long they were all out there but they were all engrossed in the story a sophomore Cheerio was saying when she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

Santana turned around, a dazzling smile still on her face, "Yeah?" And the brunette flinched back in horror, her smile quickly forming into a look of pure disgust.

"What the helll are you doing here Jew Fro?" She took a step back and frantically brushed off the spot where the gross freshman touched her.

Jacob scratched his nose and pushed up his glasses, dazedly looking up at Santana.

"Are you high or something?" She snapped her head, giving the acne-faced boy a once over, letting him know he was beneath her.

Apparently it had no affect on the kid. "I was promised a k-kiss" Jacob forced the words out of his mouth and gulped. He shoved a hand inside the front pocket of his brown corduroy pants and pulled out a breath spray, spritzing the mist twice into his mouth. "M-minty fresh" He smiled, displaying what Santana thought was the most disgusting mouth she had ever seen.

"Get the hell away from me troll!" She shoved him and turned around, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

Jacob stumbled back a step, "But K-Kurt said you would kiss me if I drove him here!"

Santana whipped her head back around so fast her neck cracked, "What did you just say fugly?"

"He also told me those nicknames are your way of hiding your love for me." Jacob shoved his glasses farther up his nose, "I completely understand baby."

Santana rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her hip as she held up her red cup leaning forward, Jacob let out a shaky breath, and choked out "_Oy Vey" _as the cheerleader bent so close he could smell her Chanel perfume.

"_Oy Vey_ this_ Estupido_" She poured her drink all over Jacob and dropped her cup on top of his head. She smirked as she turned on her heel and marched back into the house, letting the smirk quickly form into a scowl.

Everyone outside erupted in laughter and Jacob spit the beer out of his mouth and sputtered "So hot!"

* * *

><p>The tanned brunette stood amidst the hoards of drunken teens and she scanned the room. Her eyes roamed around lingering on every single person before they finally landed on the pale faced kid she was looking for. Just as she suspected her sister was standing right beside him, those two were never apart.<p>

Rachel and Kurt were both laughing, listening intently to the joke a junior was saying. They both had red cups in their hands. The guy leaned closer to Rachel and winked and the youngest Corcoran suddenly felt a steal grip on her hand and she spun around as her eyes landed on the fuming face of her older sister.

"Rachel what the hell are you doing here!" Santana gritted through clenched teeth. Her eyes dropped to the red cup in her sister's hand and Rachel quickly brought the cup around her back, trying to hide it. She wasn't fast enough.

"Are you drinking!" Santana reached around and snatched the cup out of her sister's grip, it was completely full but that was besides the point.

"No! I'm not!" Rachel pulled her arm back and Kurt jumped to his friends defense, "We're not drinking it just would've been rude if we didn't accept the drink!"

"SHUT IT CASPER!" Santana glared at Kurt and the poor boy shrunk back, "Alrighty then," widening his eyes and hastily smiling.

Rachel frowned and grabbed Santana's arm pulling her away from the crowd, "San you're causing a scene. I'm not drinking! I haven't even touched the beer."

"You can't be here!" Santana placed her hands on her hips, and she felt herself sober up extremely quick.

"But why Santana? That's not fair!" Rachel stomped her foot suddenly finding her voice, "You used to go to parties with Puck when you were a freshman!"

"That's different!" Santana snapped.

"How!?" Rachel asked confused.

"Cuz it just is!" Santana wrapped her hand around Rachel's and dragged the girl towards the back, "Let's see what Puck says about this." She grumbled as she shoved people out of her way.

The girls found their brother leaning against a tree, making out with a junior girl from the volleyball team.

"Puck" Santana called him, but Puck was completely engrossed in the lip lock. "PUCK!"

"What?" He tore away from the girl and held her away at arms length. The girl suddenly threw her head back and giggled, dragging a hand along Puck's rock hard abs, "Why are we stopping", she mumbled and swayed.

"Rachel?!" Puck nervously laughed and shoved the girl away from him. His eyes glanced back and forth between his sisters before they landed on Santana. "What is she doing here?" He snapped.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Santana walked over and stood beside Puck, the two towering over the tiny brunette. "Wait a minute is that my new shirt!"

Rachel chose to ignore the question and decided it would be best to leave the part out about how Kurt managed to bribe Jacob Ben Israel into using his brand new learner's permit and driving them over here in his grandmother's 1977 buick. She decided it would be best to skip the whole part about running a red light and almost crashing into a tree thanks to Jacob's superb driving skills. She also thought it would be best if she just skipped over the part about Kurt promising Jacob with a.. _how did he put it again...oh right, _with an_ '_exotic_'_ consolation prize by the name of Santana Corcoran.

Rachel cleared her throat. "If you must know I was invited. So I came with my friends. Just like you guys."

"We said you couldn't come." Puck folded his toned arms across his chest.

"But Noah, that's not fair! I promise I won't consume any alcoholic beverage or engage in a full on lip lock with anyone. I just want to have fun. Pleaseee Noah?" Rachel stuck out her bottom lip and her brother fell under the spell.

It worked like a charm every time, the tough jock was powerless when it came to his little sister.

"Fine. We're leaving soon anyway."

"What?" Santana shouted in anger and disbelief.

"Chill out San. We're outta here in twenty minutes. I gotta drop some of the guys off at home." Puck placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder, "Behave you two" and went off to look for his lady friend.

Rachel grinned at Santana in the annoying little sister way and the brunette growled, "Your lucky he's thinking with the wrong head right now."

* * *

><p>The rest of the night Santana stood sulking off to the side, never leaving her eyes off her sister. Anger oozed out of her body as she watched Rachel throw her head back and laugh as she repoured herself another cup of juice.<p>

Quinn was talking to her but the brunette wasn't paying attention.

"I'm gonna go find my brother. It's time to go." She pushed off the wall and went in search of the dumb ass.

Finn bumped into Kurt and a wide grin split across his face, "No way what are you doing here little bro?"

Kurt looked up and quickly covered his nose with his hand, "You smell like a bar."

Finn stepped back and laughed in Kurt's face and his eyes suddenly landed on the petit brunette beside him.

"Rachel!" He towered over the tiny girl and draped a large arm around her.

"Finn!" Rachel laughed enthusiastically and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Rachel are you feeling okay?" Kurt asked his friend and watched the strange yet amusing interaction between his step-brother and his best friend.

Mercedes suddenly reappeared, clinging off the arm of a beefy football player. "Ohmygosh Kurt you have to try this juice." She shoved her red cup under her firends nose and Kurt nearly gagged at the stench.

"Ooo gimme some more!" Rachel snatched the cup and quickly gulped down the remainder of the juice.

"Hey save me some!" Mercedes grabbed her cup back and frowned when she looked inside.

"Oops all gone" Rachel laughed and squeezed her body into Finn, hugging his torso tighter, liking the way she fit snuggly itno his side.

"Mercedes that is not juice!" Kurt squealed and moved the 'juice' away from his friends. "It's been spiked!" He saw Santana, Quinn, Brittany and Puck make their way over and suddenly feared for his and Rachel's life.

"Excuse you Finnessa back the hell away from my sister." Santana shoved the large kid away from Rachel.

"Hey Santa-nana that's not very nice." Rachel giggled and leaned into her sister, wagging her finger.

A look of shock and anger settled across the older girl's face as she smelled the unmistakable stench of alcohol waft off of Rachel.

"Are you drunk!?" Santana yelled at the same time Puck asked, "Is she drunk?"

"Someone spiked the punch bowl." Kurt answered then decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut when the two oldest Corcorans shot him daggers with their eyes.

"I didn't drink any alcoholic I promise!" Rachel hiccuped and laughed as she fell into Santana's arms.

Santana looked down wide eyed at her sister's drunken form shaking with laughter and bubbling spit onto her shirt. She stiffly held Rachel up and slowly turned her head, her eyes cutting into Puck, giving him the deadliest look ever.

* * *

><p>AN: I didn't have time to write responses but I love you all and I promise to respond in the next chapter! xoxo  
>I live off your reviews! :D ENJOY!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm trying to crank these chapters out as fast as possible but life keeps getting in the way lol. At least I have a mini break this weekend! **

**Hope you like this chapter. The next one should be up either tomorrow or Friday. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"You do realize Mom will fucking kill us if we show up at the house with Drunky McDrunk face over there." Santana glared at her brother and pointed her finger at the younger brunette.<p>

Puck let his eyes roam over to where his sister was pointing and they fell on Rachel. The younger girl was sitting on the sidewalk next to Mercedes. The two of them were laughing uncontrollably, stomping their feet, slapping their knees and gasping for air as they watched a clumsy Finn reenact his winning touchdown. Kurt was sitting on the other side of Mercedes rolling his eyes and he covered his face with his hand and watched through a slit as his step brother dove dramatically, catching an invisible football and then suddenly rise with triumphant arms pumping the air. Finn spun around the street, bowing to an imaginary crowd and ran over and effortlessly picked up a squealing Quinn.

"Finn put me down!"

Puck ignored his retarded drunk friend and shook his head. He didn't have to be reminded by Santana to know that his mother would kill him. He already knew she would have him in a body bag faster than he could say Glee for letting Rachel get like this. She wouldn't even be that mad at his sisters, not at Santana for being an accomplice to the carelssness or even Rachel for drinking the alcohol. She would be_ furious_ with him though because he was supposed to be the one watching them, he was the oldest, the "most responsible" or _whatever_.

_Being the oldest sucks_

Puck brought his hand to the back of his neck and looked lost in thought before he nodded his head in a silent agreement. "Alright this is what we're gonna do. I gotta take Finnigan here home and Chang too. They were supposed to crash at our place but I think we're gonna have our hands full with that one." He pointed over at Rachel who was now leaning into Finn's arm and had her head resting comfortably against his shoulder. "You take Quinn, Brittany and Mercedes then we'll meet back at the house." He said as he walked over in a quick stride and yanked his sister away from Finn. Rachel had been laughing and she frowned at the sudden separation.

"Awwww wer're leaving?" Rachel pouted. "Can't I stay and play?" She giggled.

Santana raised her hands and glared baffled by her sisters question before she scoffed "Pftt _NOOO_!" She grabbed Rachel's wrist and pulled the stumbling girl towards the car.

Rachel kept pouting and Santana yelled over her shoulder, "B, Q let's go! We're leaving! You too Beamer."

"Mercedes." The young freshman corrected.

"_Whatever_" Santana clicked open the car and Rachel fell roughly back onto the passenger seat as Santana pushed her onto the plush leather.

Rachel stopped pouting and watched with intent eyes as Santana strapped the seatbelt safely over her, huffing and grumbling in annoyance the entire time.

"Sanyourreeeaallyfunny. Yaknow you act all tuffff on the outside...but insiiiiide, " She slurred her words and poked Santana's chest, "your a sofftyy."

"I tell her that all the time Little S!" Brittany slid into the backseat behind the driver side and Santana pursed her lips and shot Brittany a look as she closed Rachel's door.

"Softy huh S?" Quinn quirked an eyebrow and bit back a smile as she climbed into the car after Mercedes.

"Shut it Fabray." Santana snapped at that knowing look her best friend gave her and walked over towards the driver side. She climbed into the seat seething with anger at the entire situation and pushed the button to start the car.

"I'm taking you home first freshman." She growled at Mercedes and punched in her address on the gps.

Quinn shook her head and silently laughed. She knew her friend well and she knew Santana hated showing her emotions. It was something the two had in common and it was obvious to her that Santana was getting mad only to cover up her feelings because Rachel had a way of always bringing out the "soft" side of the fiery tanned brunette.

"Meeercedess I'm glad we're friends! Youuu are sooo awesomee!" Rachel threw her body back and raised her hands in the air.

Mercedes laughed and quickly stopped for a moment, trying to shake off the dizzying feeling that crept it's way into her head.

"You better not throw up on me." Quinn pressed herself against the door, leaning far away from Mercedes and curled her lip in disgust.

Santana whipped her head back around fast, "Chevy I swear if you throw up in this car I will make you lick up every last drop of vomit that comes out of your nasty little mouth."

"Ew gross" Brittany mumbled.

"I'm not gonna throw up! Relax." Mercedes rolled her head at her friends older sister," And it's Mer. Ce. Des."

"Santana leave my friend alone!" Rachel stuck out her tongue, "meanie."

Brittany snorted a laugh and Mercedes smiled contently at Rachel.

"Girl I'm soo glad I'm friends with you too!" The diva smiled, "I already know we're gonna be besties."

Rachel beamed.

"You're like so cool and sooo luckkyyy too. I'm jeallouss. You have a huge house a sexy ass brother a sick car, " Mercedes began ticking things off her finger and the girl didn't notice Rachel sit up straighter, her happy smile disappearing. She kept on adding to her list without noticing Santana's grip tighten around the steering wheel. She finally stopped because she felt the car spin and brought her hand up to her temple one more time.

"You know people think that all the time...but they only see what's on the outsiiidee. Ifonly theykneww..." Rachel's tone became serious as she slurred the words and her head lolled to the side, the alcohol fully catching up with her.

Quinn shot her eyes towards Santana and warily looked at the brunette. Beside her Mercedes frowned at hearing Rachel's comment and was about to open her mouth to ask a question.

"Okay let's see what's on the radio!." Santana yelled and cranked up the volume, flooding the car with music. She glanced over at her sister sitting next to her and watched as Rachel's serious face quickly fell, "I love this song!" the younger girl lifted her head up straight and it didn't take long before she began blurting out the lyrics.

Quinn kept her eyes trained on her best friend and watched as Santana let out a shaky breath.

In the backseat Brittany jumped with excitement, "Oh my gosh pull it up San! This is Britney's new song," completely missing the weight of that entire conversation.

The older brunette obliged and slightly raised the volume for the bubbly blonde. The air in the car changed again and Mercedes began bumping her head to the music as she sang the chorus. Besides her Brittany was dancing and singing in her seat. Quinn pulled out her phone and her lip curved into a sly grin as she answered a text. Rachel butchered Britney's song with her drunken singing and Santana failed miserably at keeping a serious face and caved, letting the laughter erupt form her body.

* * *

><p>The Range Rover finally pulled into the driveway. Santana drove right up behind Puck's mustang and put the car in park. She turned it off and glanced over at the sleeping form next to her.<p>

Sighing she clicked off her seatbelt and leaned over the center console. She gently shook Rachel's shoulder, "Rach come on we're home."

The younger girl stirred and moaned and opened her eyes.

"Rachel come on I have to get you inside before Mom sees you like this." Santana got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side.

She jumped as she saw Rachel shoot up and lean against the door frame, giggling. Santana pulled open the door and the petite brunette raised a finger poked her sister's cheek. Santana swatted her hand away, causing the younger girl to laugh and raise her finger again.

"Stop it!" Santana clenched her mouth and ground the words as she grabbed Rachel's hands, trying to control her rising temper. "You are unbelievable" Santana gritted through her teeth, "How the hell did you not realize your drink was spiked?" She didn't know if she was asking herself or Rachel the question. Maybe she _was_ too overprotective of Rachel? How can she not know what alcohol tastes like?

"Noah!" Rachel suddenly gasped and hiccuped pulling Santana out of her thoughts as she fell into a round of giggles, "You were attacked! Look San he was attacked on his neck!"

Santana glanced over her shoulder at her brother and had to do a double take, "Nice hickies man-whore. What were you sucking face with a vampire?"

Puck grabbed his neck and looked at the mirror, "Shit" he mumbled, pulling his shirt farther up his bruised neck.

"Lang-HICCUP-uage" Rachel erupted in a fit of laughs again.

"Okay. Shut it midget." Santana held her arm under Rachel and helped her up.

"Hey that's not-hiccup-nice" Rachel leaned into her sister,"You know if you always walk around with that frown your face its gonna get stuck like that" She giggled and tripped over the step stone.

Santana held her breath, silently counting in her head. O_ne Two Three Four,_ and slowly exhaled. She maneuvered her way expertly through the dark leading them both towards the back of the house.

"Okay Rachel you wait here. Were gonna go inside and then ill come get you." Santana let the words trail out of her mouth and she frowned as she watched Rachel. The younger girl threw her head back and stared at the sky in wonder for a moment before she dropped her gaze and thrust her head down really fast. "Ooh look the ground is moving." Rachel pointed.

Santana blinked, a blank expression on her face.

"Just stay here!" She exploded, "Mom can not see you like this!" She waited a second and did the counting method.

"Now Shut up and Stay!"The older brunette turned around and ran back to the front of the house. Puck was waiting by the front door. He was looking through the window and could see his mother's head resting on the couch with a throw pulled over her body.

"Ready?" He glanced down at Santana who nodded. He fished out his keys and opened the door. Shelby stirred on the couch right away. The pair of siblings shared a look with each other, silently conversing.

"Hey kids." Shelby yawned and glanced at her watch. "Back so soon?" She blinked a few times and brought her wrist closer to her eyes for confirmation.

"12:35! Already?" Shelby stood up and stretched, "You guys have fun?" She smiled.

"Yep." "Yeah" The two answered, standing awkwardly in the foyer.

Shelby nodded, "Good. Good."

"Will left?" Santana asked and made her way over towards her mother to give her a hug and a kiss.

"Yeah. Um he left not too long ago."

_Mmhmm_

Santana knew how their friday nights went down. She was one hundred percent positive her mother passed out from boredom when Schue began singing his oldies music. Her mom would always fall asleep and Will would finally pull the blanket over her and let himself out. The man was such a dork.

"Where's Rachel?" Puck asked and Santana shot him a look.

"Oh Rach should be upstairs in her room. I think she's sleeping already they were so well behaved. We barely heard a peep out of them all night."

_I wonder why. _

"Oh mom, I think there's something wrong with my car." Puck chewed on the inside of his cheek and Santana mentally face-palmed at her brother's dead give away. He always made that face when he was lying. Shelby didn't notice however and she glanced up at him with a frown.

"Really? We'll take it to Burt's tomorrow then." She said and both siblings began to panic. They needed to get their mother out of the house so they could bring Rachel in.

"Yeah I don't know it's making this weird noise. Come look!" Puck opened the front door and walked outside, not giving his mother a chance to protest.

Shelby followed her son.

Santana sighed, "Phew" and raced towards the kitchen. She rounded the corner and slid to a stop, Rachel was pinned against the glass door outside. Her nose pressed flat against the surface and she was blowing air onto the glass, letting the fog collect beside her mouth. Her face lit up when she saw the cheerleader and she began to wave.

"What are you doing!?" Santana hissed as she slid open the door and pulled her sister inside.

"I was waiting for you." Rachel brought her voice down as Santana brought her finger up to her lips in a shushing motion.

The two made their way to the staircase and slipped out of sight as Puck and Shelby came back in through the front door.

Rachel almost missed a step and the two nearly went tumbling back down but Santana caught them both in time, silently thanking her athletic body. She led Rachel down the hall towards her room when the younger brunette spoke up, "No no can I sleep in your room tonight San. Pleeeasee. ple-hiccup-assee." She giggled and Santana shushed her,"Alright alright! Shhh you have to be quiet Rachel," Mentally cursing whichever idiot had spiked the dam juice.

She pushed open her door and led Rachel over to her bed and the younger girl jumped and spread out on top of the comforter. They heard footsteps climbing the stairs and Santana sprang into action, "Rach get under the covers quick and shut the hell up!" she frantically pulled back her sheets and shoved her sister under, flipping her body over so the younger girl was facing away from the door.

"Night sweetheart"

Santana whipped around and looked at her mother standing in the doorway, "Night mom!"

"Hey what's she doing in here?" Shelby smiled as she saw her youngest curled up in her sisters bed. There was a time when the only way they could get Rachel to sleep would be if she were next to Santana.

"I don't know I found her sleeping here." The older girl forced a smile and Shelby's face softened, "Okay goodnight baby. Love you."

"Love you too mom." Santana held her breath as her mother headed down the hallway, listening to her soft footsteps disappear into her bedroom. She heard her a door close and finally exhaled as she flopped back onto her bed.

"That was a close one." The deep voice caused her to lift her head up and glance over at Puck standing in the door.

"Ya think genius" Santana glared at him. "This is the last time she is ever coming with us to any party. She sucks away all the fun!"

"Can I move now?" Rachel mumbled from under the covers, "Cuz I don't feel so good." The younger girl ripped the covers off her body in one swift motion and ran towards the bathroom, covering her mouth with her hands.

"No. No. Noo." Santana whimpered as she stared after Rachel.

_Don't throw up Don't throw up Don't throw up_

They both heard a heaving sound from the bathroom and Santana dropped her head in her hands and groaned, reluctantly standing up.

Puck folded his arms across his chest, "Well. That's my cue. I'll see you two in the morning."

"Of course asswipe. Your such a great help." She flung a shirt at him and Puck backed away from the doorframe, pulling the door closed after him, "Anytime Satan."

The sounds of Rachel heaving in the bathroom stole Santana's piercing gaze and she braced herself and made her way over.

Rachel was kneeling down on the cool tiled floor, her hands on either side of the porcelain toilet.

"Why do people drink if they just get sick after?" Her body convulsed as she threw up red liquid. Santana scrunched her nose up in disgust at the smell.

"I will never touch alcohol ever again" Rachel's voice echoed from inside the toilet.

Santana sighed and crouched down beside her sister. She pulled back her hair, held up her head, and ran her hand soothingly across her back as Rachel poured the rest of the contents of her stomach out.

* * *

><p>Rachel was finally curled up under the bed softly snoring after having her face inside the toilet for so long. Santana sighed and peeled off her clothes, changing into comfy pajamas. The house was quiet as she went into her bathroom and scrubbed the make-up off her face. She brushed her teeth and patted her face dry with a soft fluffy towel, letting her eyes linger on her reflection. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time.<p>

Rachel stirred on the bed and let out a whimper.

The tanned brunette tore her eyes away from the mirror and flicked off the bathroom light. She crept over towards her bed and slid in beside Rachel.

"San?" The younger girl mumbled.

"Yeah Rach it's me." She moved around, adjusting the pillows trying to find a comfortable position.

"I'm sorry San. I'm sorry. I didn't know the juice was spiked" Rachel mumbled, breathing slowly, her eyes still closed.

Santana grabbed a strand of Rachel's hair and twirled it between her fingers, "It's okay Rach just go to sleep."

"Don't leave me." Rachel moved her hand around, dropping it along the bed a few times until it finally landed on Santana's arm. She curled her finger's around the older brunette's wrist.

Santana took a deep breath, "I never will Rach." and she pressed her lips softly onto the back of her sisters head.

The sound of soft snores filled the room and Santana fell back on her pillow and glanced up at the ceiling.

She never wanted to see Rachel like that ever again. She knew she was being hypocritical, God knows how many times she's gotten wasted, but seeing Rachel like that, she hated it! She hated how her senses heightened, and her over protective mode kicked into full gear and she just loathed everything about it.

Santana blinked back at the ceiling, feeling the warm body next to her rise and fall slowly, her mind began spinning and she remembered all of those times she spent comforting Rachel when they were younger.

Her thoughts quickly went back in time and she let the memory take over.

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><p><em>AN: I realized this chapter was getting too long so I cut it in half. The next part will be another flashback and some other interesting moments lol.  
>Btw Thank you all sooo much for the reviews and thank you for the favorites and the alerts! Seriously it's like fuel for my muse xox.<em>

_Emz711, CurlyHairedGirl, Twilight2892, NinjaGleek21, banjojd, marinka4, NayaFan, beaner008, bforethesunsets, broadwaybound2016, beckg77 You guys are awesome and thanks for always writing a review :) _


	8. Chapter 8

**Crossing my fingers that you like this chapter... Also bare with me please...the way I planned out this story and the way I want to develop the characters, I realize I'm going to be posting a looot of chapters and I hope you guys are willing to stay along for the ride.**

**soo heres the next part...enjoy**

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><p>New York City 2002<p>

_Eight year old Santana Corcoran raced down the crowded sidewalk of Central Park West. The native New Yorker expertly wove her way around the awkward tourists and the cities inhabitants that flocked the streets. She ducked underneath smelly old Mrs. Peterson's outstretched arm, squeezed right through the middle of a foreign tour group snapping pictures of the park and leapt clear over Louis, the neighborhoods resident show dog that lived on the seventh floor of her building. The rambunctious third grader howled with laughter as she chanced one last look over her shoulder, making sure she was still in the lead._

_Santana came to a sudden stop in front of a beautiful building that boasted having the best views in the entire city. The little girl pumped her fist in the air and began hopping excitedly in place "Yes!"_

_"Hey Santana I see we won today"_

_Santana's face broke into a giant smile as she nodded her head at Joe, the buildings resident doorman. The white haired Italian American had been working at 300 Central Park West for over thirty years and made it his business to keep an eye out on it's residences. He raised his white gloved hand and Santana jumped up to give him a high five._

_"Cough it up Joe." She tapped her foot and held out an outstretched arm, watching as Joe emerged two cherry blow pops, Santana's favorite. "Pleasure doing business with you." She shook his hand and gladly accepted her prize. _

_Just then a winded nine year old boy came rushing up behind her._

_"No fair San you cheated!" Noah Corcoran placed his hands on his knees and took a moment to catch his breath._

_"I told him he dropped his pocket." Santana looked up at Joe, "It's not my fault the dummy fell for it" She smugly skipped her way into the main lobby and waved over her shoulder at Joe._

_"See ya later princess. " He warmly chuckled in his thick New York accent and brought his soft eyes back to Noah. "So ya let her beatcha huh?"_

_Noah pulled on the straps of his bookbag then shoved his hands in his coat pockets."Little sisters" He grumbled and walked past Joe the Doorman, who tried very hard to suppress his laugh. Noah made his way through the marbled lobby and over towards the elevator. Santana was already waiting inside animatedly explaining how she tricked her brother into winning the race to their neighbor from the floor above, Jackson Jacobs. Noah felt the sudden need to defend his reputation, not wanting to let Jackson down, "I let her win." He waved his hand non-chalantly and tried to stand a little taller._

_"Ha! You wish!" Santana slapped her knee and poked her brother on the shoulder. They both continued their little banter all the way up to the 29th floor, both trying to win over their respected friends approval._

_"See you guys later" Jackson nodded goodbye and Santana continued to skip towards the door at the end of the hallway."Wait till I tell Ray who won the race today."_

_Noah rolled his eyes, "Whatever I let you win anyway"_

_The eldest Corcoran kids walked into the lavish apartment that they called home and peeled off their coats and threw their bookbags down by the foyer. They headed straight for the kitchen where Grace had an after school snack waiting for them._

_"Hello children how was school today?" Grace asked as she looked over the young Corcorans, shifting uncomfortably on her feet. _

_"Eh it was school." Noah slid onto the chair and rubbed his stomach in anticipation as his eyes ate up the sandwich plated before him. He wasted no time, took a giant bite and began inhaling it down._

_"Noah.."Santana looked on in disgust, "breathe" and she rolled her eyes before sighing "boys."_

"Bite me" Noah managed to say in between mouthfuls of food.

_Santana stuck out her tongue and took a tiny nibble out of her own sandwhich, only to satisfy Graces pressing look. She grabbed the juice box off the counter and took off running to find her sister._

_Santana went straight to the play room, she was sure she would find Rachel in there belting out a song from one of her favorite musicals in front of all of the stuffed animals._

_"Ray guess who won-" But her voice trailed off and a frown formed on her pretty face when she found the play room empty, the animals eerily stitting in a row, patiently waiting and facing an empty microphone._

_"Rachel?" She turned around and headed for the bedrooms. She opened the door to the little five year olds room, "Rachel!" But again a frown formed as her eyebrows knit together when she found the pink princess room empty._

_"Rachel!" She yelled finally, slightly frustrated as she poked her head inside her own room and just as she was about to head out she heard a sniffle._

_"Rach?" Santana made her way over to the side of her bed. There, crouched in the corner sat Rachel. The tiny girl had her legs folded into her body, her chin resting on her knees as she hugged tightly onto Santana's favorite stuffed animal._

_"Rachel? What are you doing over here all by yourself?"_

_The little girl lifted her head up and Santana watched as relief flooded through her baby sisters cloudy tear rimmed eyes. She wasted no time scrambling to her feet and the little girl rammed herself into the older girls body, her tiny hands clamping themselves firmly around her waist. Rachel buried her face into Santana's shirt and it was then that Santana felt the younger girl trembling._

_"Rach?" Santana's voice shook as a million thoughts raced through her head. Was she hurt? Did she have a nightmare? Did that dumb little kid call Rachel a name again in preschool today? She knew where he lived and Santana was already going over exactly how many different ways she could make that boy cry. He didn't live far. All she had to do was march back two blocks to her school and go over to the building on the corner of 89th. She knew the doorman there, he was friends with Joe so she could just walk right in and..._

_Rachel whimpered and Santana was pulled out of her thoughts._

_"What'sa matter?"_

_She tried unclenching the little girls hands so she could get a good look at her face but Rachel's hands seemed to have been cemented in place._

_"Rach" Santana used her soft voice, the one she reserved just for Rachel and ran her fingers through the little girls soft brown locks. _

_"I told you to go to your room." Robert Corcoran appeared in the doorway, dressed in his work clothes, his voice low and angry._

_Rachels body stiffened and Santana suddenly felt her little sisters heart ramming against her chest, threatening to come out of the tiny body. Santana felt the small arms tighten their hold around her waist._

_"Hey Daddy your home?" The tanned brunette looked up at her father questioningly as he stalked across the room and wrinkled her nose as she smelled a repugnant odor coming off her dads body. Robert clamped a heavy hand around Santana, causing her to wince out in pain and she looked up at her father in shock."Ouch! Dad your hurting me!" _

_Her father snapped his eyes at her as he pried Rachel off and shoved her back, causing her stumble back onto her bed. Rachel began crying uncontrollably screaming for Santana._

_"I TOLD YOU TO STAY IN YOUR ROOM." Robert bellowed as he grabbed the trembling five year old and dragged her back into her bedroom,"Stop screaming" He called out in a half pleading half demanding way. Santana heard a loud crashing, toppling noise, as If something were being knocked over, "Your stupid musicals and your dam singing!" Santana's eyes widened as she heard the words that were coming out of her daddy's mouth. She had never seen her dad act this way. What was going on?_

_She cautiously made her way towards Rachels room, terrified of the angry man that looked like her daddy but acted no where near him. What could Rachel possibly have done for him to be this angry? She crept down the hall just as her dad was walking out of the room. _

_"You don't listen!" Robert slammed Rachel's door shut and his piercing gaze fell on the eight year old, freezing her right where she stood._

_"You! Stay out of that room!" He barked. "Your sister is punished" He brushed past a shocked Santana, quickly striding towards the front of the apartment before he slowed down and threw his fist into the wall, "Fuck!"_

_He ran a shaking hand through his hair and took a labored breath. Santana could've sworn she saw tears pooling at the corner of his eyes._

_Robert leaned into the wall for only a moment and Santana didn't know if she heard him whisper I'm sorry or if she imagined it before he took off once again._

_The brunette stood rooted to the floor, listening to his heavy footsteps disappear. She heard her brother call out , "Oh hey Dad!...Dad?" and then she heard the front door rattle shut with a bang._

_The third grader felt a shiver go down her spine and it took her a minute before she slowly crept inside Rachel's room, her heart pounding with fear. Her sister was curled up in a ball on her bed, crying and shaking into her pillow. The little girl's collection of DVD's that she so carefully kept stacked in a neat pile was splayed across the floor. Santana stepped over Rachel's collection of musicals and climbed in next to her on the bed. "Ray what happened?" Santana's voice shook as she felt the sobs wrack her sisters tiny body._

_She hugged her tight sprayed the top of her head with light kisses and kept asking what was wrong._

_Rachel wouldn't answer and it was when Santana was trying to shift them into a more comfortable position that she saw a large bruise on her sisters arm._

_She gasped and lightly ran her fingers over it..did her daddy do that?_

_"Ray it's okay stop crying." She cooed as she held the younger girl on the bed. She didn't know how long the two lay that way. Rachel cried herself to sleep without giving the older girl any answers. It was only when the trembling and the crying subsided and she felt the small body relax and breath rhythmically that Santana carefully removed her arm. She slowly stood up from the bed and swiftly headed out the room and went straight for the telephone mounted on the wall. Her fingers punched in the memorized numbers and she brought the receiver up to her ear, making an overdue phone call._

_"Hello?" Santana croaked as she felt her throat constrict and her voice hitch upon hearing the warm comforting voice on the other end._

_"Sweetheart." _

_"Mommy you have to come home," Her lower lip quivered, "Now!"_

_"Santana?" The voice on the other end changed and rose dramatically_

_"Santana!"_

_..._

_.._

_._

"Santana!"

The raven haired brunette stirred as she heard the voice awaken her from her deep sleep, her mind slowly registering everything from the night before. She mentally cursed the hell out of the melodic tone singing her name. She hated being woken up in the mornings. She hated it with a passion.

"RISE AND SHINE GIRLS!" The bubbly voice sang out as footsteps padded across the room and the two girls sleeping on the queen sized bed groaned and flinched as the sound of a curtain being pulled back flooded the room with the piercing gaze of the bright Sun.

Shelby walked over from the window and strolled to the side of her daughters bed, pulling back the covers, "Well good afternoon girls!" She sang loudly in Rachel's ear and smiled as her youngest daughter cracked an unwilling eye open.

"We're meeting Grandma and Grandpa Berry at Breadstix for an all you can eat lunch. Bottomless pasta bowls with thick tomatoey marinara sauce, unlimited amounts of piping hot bread and yummy delicious food."

Rachel's stomach gurgled and the young girl fought to keep whatever was left inside from coming out.

"We're leaving in an hour!" Shelby sing songed as she walked out of the room.

Rachel groaned as she lay motionless in bed. "San."

"Hm" The older brunette grunted.

"The room...i-it's spinning" Rachel grabbed a fistful of sheets to anchor herself.

"My head is pounding" She brought heavy arms up to the sides of her face to ease the pressure.

"And Oh My Gosh...I think I'm dying" She came to a panicked conclusion. "I'm dying!"

"Stop being so dam dramatic" Santana sucked her teeth as she sat up, reaching over and yanking the covers back over her body. She laid back down and buried her head into her pillow, happily closing her eyes once again.

The room fell back into silence.

For only a moment.

"This _must_ be what dying feels like."

Santana's eyes flew open in anger.

"What happened last night? We convinced Jacob to drive us then we got to the party I didn't drink anything until that one guy offered me juice and then...Oh no" Rachel whimpered as everything from the night before came rushing back.

Santana growled, "It's called a hangover," as she threw the covers off and stood up from the bed, her hair sticking up all over the place and she grabbed her pillow, hugging it close to her chest.

"Where are you going!" Rachel turned her head, too afraid to move the rest of her body.

"To your bed" Santana grumbled, "away from your annoying voice." She passed her brother as she walked out of the room and Puck strolled in with a grin playing on his face.

"Sooo. How are we feeling this morning?" The smug teen walked over and poked Rachel's leg.

"Like death." Rachel whimpered and brought a hand up to her forehead.

"Good." Puck smiled and he saw a shocked look settle across his sisters face, "Now you know what happens when you drink so you won't do it again."

He winked causing Rachel to frown and stick out her bottom lip. "And don't worry it's normal to feel like shit right now. First your head starts pounding, then your mouth gets dry, your stomach starts to kill you, the room starts spinning, you feel like you can't move."

Rachel just nodded her head as Puck listed off all of the symptoms she was currently experiencing.

"But don't worry, It'll pass soon." He finished off his list as he backed out of the room, offering a piece of advice. "If you still feel nauseus stick a finger down your throat and throw-up. You'll feel better after. Trust me."

Rachel widened her eyes in horror.

"Oh and take a shower too." Puck rested his hand on the door.

"Is that gonna help me with my headache?" Rachel rubbed her temple.

"No. It's gonna help me." Puck covered his nose with his hand, "You stink!" and headed downstairs.

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><p>"And then I told him he could just forget the whole thing." Shelby took a large bite of her food and glanced around the table. Her mother and father nodded in approval as they ate their bowls of pasta. Santana was scarfing down a breadstick and Noah was already on his third bowl. Beside her, Rachel had barely touched her food.<p>

"Rachel dear are you feeling well?" Grandma Berry asked worriedly at her youngest granddaughter. "You look a little pale, right Hiram?"

"I'm okay Grandma. I think I just caught a bug or something."

"Eat up Rachel. Come on, five more forkfuls, you have to eat." Shelby looked at her daughter.

Rachel wished she were back home laying down in bed. Just staring at all of the food made her want to throw up. The way Noah and Santana were eating made her insides cringe and she felt bile rise in the back of her throat as her mother shoved her fork under her nose, "Doesn't this smell soo good?"

Rachel gulped and continued picking at her food, shoveling the pasta back and forth across the plate, ignoring the conversation at the table. If she didn't know any better she swore her mother had probably set up this entire lunch on purpose.

"I'm so proud of my kids." Shelby sipped her water and her parents beamed at her. "You know in school I hear all of these horror stories from my coworkers of their kids and of course I hear my students talking bad about their parents and how they lie to them and sneak behind their backs and curse their names and ugh it's just horrible. I got lucky though." Shelby smiled warmly and caressed the top of Puck's head, "My kids and I have such a good relationship. They would never lie to me to my face. We're close and we can go to each other for anything."

Grandma and Grandpa Berry beamed at their grandchildren.

"Right kids?" Shelby smiled at them.

Puck, Santana and Rachel all looked at their mother and nodded, "Uh huh" plastering forced smiles and silently searching for any hint, trace or slip up of any kind on their mother's poised facade. Of course, Shelby Corcoran wasn't an award winning Broadway actress for nothing.

_Fuck. _Puck thought just as his Grandmother reached a veiny hand and pinched his cheek, "That's my Noah."

_Shit we're fucking screwed._ Santana smiled and busied herself with her soda, playing with the ice cubes.

_Wait does this mean Mom knows what happened last night? _Rachel stared at her mother. Shelby's eyes were gleaming, she had on a genuine smile and she pulled Rachel in for a kiss on her head.

"Such a handsome boy. When are you going to get yourself a nice jewish girlfriend?" Grandma Berry took a sip out of her drink and looked at her grandson.

"_Grandma_" Puck put on the embarrassed act, one Rachel thought didn't suit him well. Santana snorted a laugh as she dropped her hand in the bread basket and ripped off a piece of fresh bread, _Oh he gets a girl Grandma _she thought _your precious little Noah gets a girl almost every other fucking night...such a manwhore. _She tore the bread angrily between her teeth, _Of course_ _It's okay for him but If I start seeing different guys the way he see's girls I'm suddenly a slut. _Santana ripped the bread again and glowered at her brother.

"Sylvie leave the poor boy alone" Grandpa Berry patted his wife's wrinkled hand.

"But I want a nice jewish wedding and have a nice jewish girl to come from a good family. Mrs. Leibowitz granddaughter is around your age. You two would look so good together."

Santana jumped, "Yes! Grandma Sylvie I couldn't agree with you more!" She smiled enthusiastically at her grandmother and inside she was bursting with laughter at the thought of her brother going out with Mrs. Leibowitz granddaughter from temple, the one with the bushy hair and weird nasally voice.

Puck looked at her and turned his eyes into slits.

"Right dear! What's her name? Hannah I think..Oh yes it would be perfect." Grandma Sylvie clasped her hands together. "_What_ Hiram...Don't look at me like that. I didn't get a chance to have a normal Jewish wedding with my son so I'm making it up with my Noah. Leave me be." Grandma Sylvie spoke with a tone that shut Grandpa Hiram right up.

Of course Grandma Sylvie was talking about her gay son Hiram Berry. If Rachel wasn't so hungover she would have laughed. Her grandparents were so funny and she loved them very much.

"Shelby's wedding turned out to be a disaster." She waved her arm and Shelby choked on her water.

"Thanks mom." The Broadway star tightlipped.

"It's true. Don't even get me started on Robert. You see...I knew from the very beginning he was bad news because he wasn't Jewish."

Puck cleared his throat and Santana shifted in her seat, feeling uncomfortable like they always did whenever their father was mentioned.

"Awful man. Awful." Grandma Sylvie placed her hand over her heart and wore a pained expression causing a deep line to form between her brows.

"Mother." Shelby spoke but her mother didn't hear her.

"A poor excuse of a man I don't know why you still carry around his name Shelby." She brought a closed fist down on the table, "That abuser. That cheater. That lying son of a bi-"

"Mother!" Shelby interrupted and widened her eyes pointedly.

Sylvie Berry grabbed a napkin and patted the corners of her eyes, "Look what he's done. He's gotten me all upset now and he isn't even here. That ungrateful bastard. I need to leave. I feel emotional. Hiram" Grandma Sylvie gripped onto her husbands arm and Shelby called the waiter over, signaling for the check.

"Okay Mom we'll all leave. Come on." Shelby stood up and motioned for her kids to do the same. She threw a few bills on the table, not bothering to wait for the change and the Berry's and the Corcorans filed out of Breadstix.

Puck, Santana and Rachel all said their goodbyes and waited by the car for their Mother to come back from escorting her parents to their old car, the one her father refused to give away saying he simply didn't trust the new vehicles.

"That went well." Santana folded her arms across her chest.

"Mom knows." Puck leaned against the Range Rover.

"Knows what?" Rachel asked cautiously as she rested her head against her brother, feeling sick, already knowing what her mother knew she just wanted to hear it being confirmed.

The sound of heels clacking onto the street caused all three to turn their heads and watch their Mother shimmy her way through the cars and head over towards them. She unlocked her car and made her way over to the driver side, opening the door and climbing right in. The three siblings looked at one another "Maybe she doesnt know." Puck shrugged and his hopeful feeling didn't last very long.

They all settled into the car and as the last door slammed shut Shelby pulled out of the parking spot.

The ride home was eerily silent, with Shelby cutting off any form of conversation with clipped one worded answers. When they pulled up into the house, Shelby turned off the car and pulled out the keys.

"You're grounded for two weeks." Her voice was hard as steel and effectively delivered the message with a cold tone, "Noah no dates, no xbox, no parties. Santana no laptop, no sleepovers, no parties. Rachel, no going over Kurts house." Shelby grabbed her bag and pushed open her door.

"I wanted to see how long you would play this out...but I knew from the beginning. Did you guys forget who your mother was or something?" Shelby closed the door and clacked all the way into the house, leaving her three children stunned, mouths agape sitting frozen in the car.

"I think my mind was just bitch slapped." Santana cut the silence and Rachel buried her face in her hands.

Puck unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door, "Dam she's good."

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><p><em>AN: So this looked a little bit deeper into the past. You were introduced to the Berry's lol. I don't know how my mind comes up with these scenarios sometime...my imagination tends to get the best of me. When I first thought up of this family dynamic I was going to keep things light..then as I thought of the individual characters, Santana's 'bitchyness' Pucks 'badassness' Shelby's HBIC attitude..I started thinking okay..why would they act this way..what caused them all to act out like this..surely something in the past..and then this story began unravelling itself. lol_

So I promise (for real this time lol) your questions will be answered as the story moves along. Thanks for the amazing reviews! Love you all! xox.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone! Here's the next chapter. Sorry in advance for any grammatical errors. I suck at those lol Hope you enjoy. Have a good Friday :D Let me know what you think!**

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><p>"So my Marc Jacobs coat that I pre-ordered from the Winter Collection finally came in today and there holding it for me at Nordstrom's. Wanna come with later to pick it up? Finn's taking me after school."<p>

"I can't." Rachel walked down the hallway beside her best friend, clutching her books tightly to her chest, "I'm still punished remember?" She mumbled.

"Oh right! I forgot. Geez Shelby is no joke. What has it been like two weeks already?" The two friends rounded the corner of the crowded hallway.

Rachel sighed and blew a loose strand of hair out of her face, "Yes. My punishment will be lifted by the end of this week. Then everything will resume back to normal." Rachel arrived at her locker and Kurt leaned his shoulder against the wall next to her. She flitted with the lock and gave it a few tugs before it finally clicked opened.

"F-Finn's not punished anymore?" She cautiously asked, mentally slapping herself for stuttering his name. _Why do I keep doing that?_

_"_That's why he's driving me to the mall today." Kurt sang out and grinned. "Carol said he had too and my Dad agreed that it was torturous enough."

Rachel smiled and shook her head as she put away her science binder and pulled out her math one.

"Hey look Hudson it's your sister" A deep voice called out behind her and Rachel spun around to get a better look.

"Oh very original Neanderthal!" Kurt snapped back. He wasn't afraid of his step-brothers friends.

Not really.

Okay maybe sometime.

The guy Rachel recognized as one of Noah's friends took a menacing step forward towards the now cowering freshman.

"Azimio leave him alone." Finn nudged the shorter football player.

"What Hudson? I was just saying hi to your gay brother."

"He's not gay!" Finn grabbed Azimio by the collar of is shirt , "C'mon man! Did he tell you he was gay?" He tightened his grip and gritted through his teeth, "Didn't think so cuz he's NOT gay!" Finn let go of the collar and shoved Azimio aside.

"So what are you saying? You saying he spends all his time with Corcorans sister and what? You think he's gettin some from her?" Azimio lightly punched Finn on the shoulder and howled with laughter at what he thought was the funniest joke he ever told.

Rachel felt her face redden.

"Whose doing what now to my sister?" Noah appeared seemingly out of nowhere and flexed his arms as his eyes roamed over the scene in the hallway.

"Corcoran. Your boy's trippin'." Azimio glared at Finn.

"What's goin on?" Puck asked as his eyes fell on Rachel then went back towards his two teammates.

"I was just saying hello to Hudsons sister."

Finn growled and made a move towards Azimio but Puck held him back. "Chill Azimio." He spoke with authority.

Azimio narrowed his eyes and smacked his fist into his palm, glaring at Finn. The shorter football player slowly backed away, listening to the team captain and disappeared down the hall, but not before yelling out, "I'll see you on the field Hudson."

"Nice choice of friends you have there Finn" Kurt fixed his shirt and smoothed over the pleat of his collar.

"Look I'm sorry alright? You guys okay?" Finn gave his brother a once over, confirming he was fine and then turned his eyes on Rachel.

Rachel looked up into the brown pools and felt herself getting lost, they were the most magnificent eyes she had ever seen, they looked so caring, so genuine so-

"Rachel?"

She was snapped out of her daze and quickly looked towards her brother who was staring at her funny. "What. Yeah we're okay."

"Don't let anyone bother you guys alright?" Finn placed his hand on Rachel's shoulder and the young girl wanted to melt right there in the middle of the floor underneath his touch.

"Yeah anyone messes with you just tell them I'll beat them up." Puck winked at his sister and headed down the hallway with Finn in tow.

Rachel watched them disappear through the crowd following the back of Finn's head the entire time. She shook her head to regain her composure and slowly turned around to face Kurt.

"What?" Her friend asked shrugging his shoulders and averting his eyes. He spun around and pulled open her locker so he could check over his reflection in the mirror. "So I still haven't gotten around to telling them about 'you know what'. Big deal!"

Rachel just tilted her head to the side, took a deep breath and closed the metal door. It baffled her that Kurt was convinced his family didn't already know or suspect he was gay. Come to think of it, the way Finn reacted maybe Kurt did a better job at hiding it around them than she realized. Rachel decided to drop it, when he was ready she'd be there for him. She held out her arm and glanced over at her best friend, "Shall we?"

Kurt looked down at the outstretched arm and smiled, this was why he loved Rachel Corcoran. She never judged him. From the very beginning she accepted him for who he was, exactly how he was and he could always be himself around her. He looped his arm through hers and smiled, "We shall." And the two walked down the hall towards their next class.

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><p>"You think this is hard?" Sue Sylvester blared into her megaphone, menacingly staring at the quivering Cheerios before her, "Imagine looking into a mirror and realizing your Will Schuester. Now <em>That's<em> Hard!"

Santana was trying her very best not to fall, she kept her eyes trained forward, her arms sticking straight out in front of her. She long ago stopped feeling the burning pain in her legs. They were completely numb and the only reason why she knew she still had legs was because her thighs were slightly quivering, causing her line of sight to wobble. She felt a trickle of sweat drip down her forehead and she ground her teeth together. Coach Sylvester had them doing wall squats for the past 28 minutes which meant they only had two minutes left of this torture.

_You can do this._

_"_Feel the burn ladies! Embrace it!" Sue yelled and marched back and forth in front of the girls. "Ah what do we have here?" Her voice slithered as she stopped in front a sophomore. The poor girl's entire body was violently shaking, struggling to stay up. "Pathetic! One minute left and your telling me you can't hack it!"

The girl couldn't take it anymore, her legs caved from under her and she fell onto the gym floor in one exhausted heap.

"Congratulations Collins you just bought yourself another thirty minutes! Becky reset the timer. From the top ladies!" Sue Sylvester blared into her megaphone and grinned.

Santana lost it. She sprang up from her spot, "Fucking Collins! TE VOY A MATAR!" She yelled in spanish like she usually did, reverting to the language her nanny Grace Diaz taught her when she was younger. Santana found that it had it's benefits and would use it to inflict the most threat and fear on whoever it was that was on the receiving end of her anger, in this case, poor sophomore Stacey Collins.

Everyone began screaming and Brittany and Quinn found themselves holding Santana back, gripping her arms and shoulders tightly as she flailed and pushed against them, desperately wanting to strangle the poor girl.

"Corcoran! I like your fighting energy and spirit!" Sue barked into her megaphone as she glanced at the fiery brunette before her. "Now Heel!"

* * *

><p>Coach Bieste blew her whistle signaling the start of the scrimmage.<p>

Puck yelled out, "Set!" And wrapped his hands around the leather football, his fingers fitting perfectly between the groove of the laces.

"Blue 57. Blue 57. Hut-Hut" The players scrambled on the second hut and Puck moved back, dodging an oncoming opponent. He sprinted to the left and searched for an opening, his eyes scanning for the perfect moment. He saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye and flung his hand back, arching it forward with a strong snap and watched as the football spiraled perfectly through the air, aiming straight for a set of outstretched arms.

Finn effortlessly caught the ball and ran right for the end zone, pummeling through two opponents, never slowing down until he passed the line and scored a touchdown.

"And that's how it's done!" Puck yelled out as he received slaps of encouragement on his back.

"Not bad Corcoran. Hudson good game. Alright same time same place tomorrow!" Coach Bieste yelled out, signaling the end of her practice.

The guys all threw the mesh scrimmage jerseys in a pile and took off their shoulder pads, walking shirtless off the field towards the bleachers.

Puck grabbed his water bottle off the floor and squirted the refreshing cool liquid into his dry mouth. He wiped the sweat off his forhead and looked up at the bleachers, his eyes scanning over the scattered groups of students that were watching their practice and landed on the one brunette he was looking for.

He walked over and leaned into the fence, glancing up at the petite freshman, "Rach wait here for me. I'm just gonna jump in the showers real quick."

Rachel had been talking with Kurt and two other girls from her grade, her back facing the field and she turned her head to look at her brother, "Okay. I'll be here."

"Tell Finn to hurry up!" Kurt yelled after Puck and the quarterback lifted his hand in response as he disappeared into the gym.

"Oh my gosh. Your brother is so hot!" One of the girls squealed and Rachel rolled her eyes. She was getting tired of hearing that.

"Did you see his abs!? Does he walk around shirtless at home too?" They asked Rachel, suddenly more intrigued by her than before. Figures.

"That's disgusting. _He's my brother_." Rachel tucked back a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Yeah ladies don't even waste your time. He doesn't go for freshman. He goes for cheerleader." Kurt crossed his legs and held his hand out assuringly.

"Oh my god I would so join the Cheerios in a heartbeat if it meant I had a chance with Puck Corcoran!" The girls laughed and Rachel couldn't help but feel her heart constrain a bit as she looked them over. Desperation couldn't even begin to describe these brainless wannabes.

He would never.

She wouldn't allow it.

"Yeah but I wouldn't want to join the Cheerios they're all scary evil bitches." The girl with the brown hair said, the one Rachel didn't like all of a sudden.

"No they're not." Rachel spoke up.

"Yes they are! That junior Quinn Fabray is ruthless. She's pretty I'll give her that but she gives Coach Sylvester a run for her money."

Rachel stood quiet, she liked Quinn, she had always been nothing but nice to her.

"Woah wait a sec, if Puck's your brother then wouldn't that make Santana your sister?" The brown haired girl asked and Rachel slowly nodded as she warily calculated the thought pattern process of the girl before her.

"Oh my god she's worse! I feel bad for you! I can imagine what living with her is like!"

Rachel frowned and was about to speak her mind but the girls quickly shot up from the bleacher. "Um we gotta go. We'll see you guys in class tomorrow. Bye Kurt nice meeting you again, um, Rachel." They grabbed their books and hopped off the metal bench. Rachel stared after them wondering why they suddenly ran off, when she heard the unmistakable husky voice come up behind her.

"Rachel. Carry this." Santana appeared by the gate and threw her duffle bag in the direction of her sister. The petite brunette scrambled to catch the cheerleader's bag and she caught it with her chest, feeling it knock the wind out of her.

"Oof. Gee. _Thanks_ _Santana._" Rachel dead panned.

The darker haired girl waved her arm in a swatting motion and hunched forward, grabbing her back in pain. "I can't carry that thing."

"You okay?" Rachel asked standing up, grabbing her books and swinging the strap of the duffle bag over her shoulder.

"No. I'm not okay. Do I look like I'm okay? I am going to fucking murder Collins." Santana slowly took a step forward, shuffling her foot, inching her way over towards the parking lot.

Rachel watched as the rest of the Cheerleaders came wobbling out of the gym too, all shuffing their feet, bent over low to the ground.

If Kurt didn't know any better he swore they were all trying out to be Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

"Oh give it up already Santana." Quinn mumbled as she reached them and flinched in pain when she took a step forward.

"Tough practice?" Kurt asked smiling, and he quickly hid the smile when Santana narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why are you walking like that San? Did you shit yourself of something?!" Puck yelled out as he too walked out of the gym with his friends in tow. They all high-fived each other and Santana angrily turned towards her brother, steam coming off her body.

"No asshole we actually worked out. You know the national championship team that we are. Unlike your sorry ass excuse of a team" Santana growled and wobbled in the direction of her brother, not getting very far as Puck howled with laughter.

"Asswipe." She gritted through her teeth and latched onto Kyle Smith's arm as he walked by, "Kyle pick me up!" Santana held up her hands and ordered the boy to carry her towards the car. Kyle glanced down at the junior cheerleader, he wanted nothing more than to pick her up and feel her body pressed into his but he remembered her brother and quickly shot his eyes in Pucks direction. The smug captain quickly stopped laughing as a scowl fell across his face.

"Smith do it or these lips and goodies are forever off limits!" Santana snapped and stared into his green eyes and he quickly wrapped his arms around the demanding girls tiny waist and threw her over his shoulder.

"Hey Smith put her down!" Puck yelled and began striding over to them.

"Kyle If I were you I'd haul ass to the car. Like now" Santana screamed and smacked his butt and Kyle ran in the direction of the black mustang, with Puck hot on their heels.

Rachel was walking beside Kurt and shook her head at her older siblings, watching as Kyle made a beeline towards the car, jaggedly running around the parking lot with Santana hanging over his shoulder, screaming at the top of her lungs at Noah to stop.

"Need a lift?" Finn walked over and scooped Quinn up in his arms. The blonde squealed and laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder, "You scared me!"

Rachel couldn't keep her eyes off of them, suddenly wishing she were a Cheerio too.

"Brittany... What are you doing?" Kurt asked confuzed by the blonde standing before him.

"I'm trying to pick myself up...It's not exactly working." She said as she fell over and landed on the ground.

"I got you Britt." One of the football players scooped her up too and she happily squealed with delight.

Kurt glanced over at Rachel and rolled his eyes, "_Jocks._"

* * *

><p>Rachel jumped out of the car when they pulled up into the driveway. She thought her ears were going to explode with Puck and Santana switching back and forth between the radio stations. The three walked inside the house, well in Santana's case, hobbled and Noah headed straight for the kitchen and pulled open the fridge.<p>

Santana crawled along the wall all the way to the den and collapsed onto the sofa.

Rachel put her books down on the kitchen table and looked over at her brother who had his head in the fridge.

"Mom said to order food when we get home." The young brunette slid onto the bar stool.

"Okay then order food." Noah mumbled and spoke with a mouthful of turkey and cheese.

Rachel curled her lip in disgust, "That's repulsive Noah."

The teen opened his mouth wide and stuck out his tongue. "It's delicious" He mumbled.

Rachel gagged and grabbed a handful of take out menu's from the counter, flipping through them.

"What do you want for dinner? Chinese? Italian? Indian? Thai?" She leafed through the menu's and glanced up as Santana wobbled her way into the kitchen.

The cheerleader ripped the freezer open and pulled out two ice packs. She made her way over to the table and sat down. She pulled a chair closer to her scraping it along the floor and propped her legs up, flinching the entire time and placed the ice packs on both of her thighs. She sighed and sat back into the char.

"San? What do you want for dinner?" Rachel asked.

"I don't care. Food." The raven haired girl closed her eyes.

"Fine I'm picking tonight then." Rachel grabbed the Thai menu, already salivating over the vegan special they made. The phone rang and Noah walked over and picked it up, "Hello" He swallowed the bite of cheese and chugged his gatorade, wiping his mouth and asked again, this time more forced. "Hello?"

Rachel looked up and watched as her brother's face changed.

"Yeah this is he." He folded his arm over his chest and suddenly frowned. Noah listened for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth before he pulled the phone away from his ear and slammed it back onto the holder.

"Who was that?" Rachel asked.

"_Nobody_." Noah snapped. Santana opened her eyes and watched as he pushed himself off the wall and grabbed his sweater.

"Where are you going?" Rachel called after him.

"For a walk." Noah yelled and the door slammed shut. Rachel glanced over at Santana and the older girl shrugged her shoulders, "He's probably just pmsing," and closed her eyes again.

Rachel sighed and glanced back down at the menu. Maybe that was one of his ex girlfriends on the phone. Although technically they weren't really his ex-girlfriends more like girls he had a fling with. Every time she would ask her brother why he never introduced any of them as his girlfriends he would always say labels were overrated and relationships were complicated. Rachel shook her head at her brother's logical thinking and hopped off the stool and made her way over to the phone.

Her hand was right above it when it rang. Rachel jumped and picked it up, bringing the receiver up to her ear, "Hello?" She spoke into the phone and waited to hear the voice of a cheerio or some other girl from the school calling back for Noah. The person on the end was silent, she heard them breathing but they were quiet so she asked again, "Hello!"

Silence.

Breathing.

and then the person on the other end managed to find their voice. "Rachel?"

Rachel froze. She recognized that voice. She knew that voice anywhere.

"Rachel is that you?"

* * *

><p>AN: Dun Dun Dun...hmm _I wonder who that could be_? lmao I tried getting this one up as soon as possible, but I have my own Coach Sylvester I had to deal with this week, and the nazi had us doing wall squats too and every time someone on my team fell we all had to start over -_- I can't feel my legs. Fun times. But at least my hands can type so good news the next chapter will be up soon. ;)

Thanks for your amazing reviews! Love you all!xox

EmZ711- Lmao glad you liked it! lol thanks for your fabulous reviews! :)  
>twilight2892- thank you! and yeah she knew the whole time lol glad you liked it thanks for your amazing reviews!:)<br>beaner008-Thanks for your reviews! And I'm glad you liked the flashback! Those questions will be answered the next time someone takes a trip down memory lane lol and We'll just have to wait and see what's in store ;) Thanks again for awesome reviews! :)  
>CulryHairedGirl- glad you liked the bitchslapped line lmao and the flashbacks! Those are always so hard to write and put up lol thanks for your amazing review! :)<br>Ninjagleek21-Your cookies are fantabulous. glad you liked grandma berry haha she's fun to write! thanks for your amazing review! :)  
>marinka4- thank you! I love Shelby too! :)<br>bforethesunsets- So glad your still loving the story! :D and thanks for the awesome review! Robert's gonna be coming in very soon ;)  
>banjojd-Ahh thanks so much! THe flashbacks are always the hardest to write so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you! Hope you liked this chapter :)<br>w1cked- why hello and welcome lol and thank you for liking and reviewing my story! hope you liked this chapter :)  
>beckg77- THANKSSS FOR YOUR REVIEW! LOL HOPE YOU LIKED THE UPDATE! ILL POST THE NEXT ONE SOON :D<br>LemonPeaves- Ahh thanks! I always get nervous about posting up those flashbacks! Thanx for the review :)  
>MarilizzieCullen13-Thank you! I don't like him either! lol hope you liked the update :)<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry in advance for the grammatical errors lol. Enjoy this chapter and hope you like! **

* * *

><p>Once when Rachel was eight years old she fell off the monkey bars in a playground. She had been trying to keep up with Santana who was swinging away ahead of her like a lunatic, howling with laughter and moving swiftly from bar to bar. Rachel had glanced down for only a moment and when she realized how high up she was from the ground, her small hands slipped and she fell, plummeting towards the floor landing flat on her back. The force of the blow completely knocked the wind out of her. She couldn't breathe and the world seemed to slow down around her as the ringing filled her ears.<p>

That's kind of how she felt at this exact moment.

"Rachel?"

Rachel stood rooted to the floor, her mind fuzzing over, her eyes bulging, her lungs not taking in enough oxygen and her words suddenly not working.

"Who is it?" Santana calmly sighed lounging against the chair with her ice packs pressed into her sore muscles. "_Hello_! Earth to _Midget_" She cracked an eye open and took in her sisters face. Santana raised an eyebrow.

"I-" Rachel didn't know what to say. Her brain had suddenly cut off all connections with her mouth. Santana sucked her teeth and held out her hand, demanding for the phone.

Rachel's feet moved on their own accord and she found herself standing over her older sister, her bottom lip pulled in between her teeth.

"Who is this!" The older brunnette snapped into the phone as she pulled her legs off the chair, sitting up straighter and fully prepared to embarrass the hell out of whichever girl she thought was calling for her idiot brother.

Rachel fell onto the seat across Santana and watched as her sister's face morphed into a look of clear annoyance, to complete shock and then total anger. On second thought, anger wasn't even the right word to describe it.

"Santana" The voice on the other end rang loud and clear through the phone, penetrating her ear. "Mariposa?"

The older girl felt her breath hitch a bit, she felt a tug on her heart but only for the briefest of moments before the icy shield she had so carefully built over the years fell back securely in it's place. "You don't get to call me that anymore." She hissed, feeling her body fill with adrenaline and she snapped. Her tongue lashed out as her mouth suddenly moved extremely fast with words she had been itching to tell her father ever since last week when she found out he suddenly wanted to see them.

"In fact you don't have any right to be calling at all. What do you want _Robert. _Huh? What the _HELL_ could you possibly want? After all of these years TELL ME! What is it that you want. Are you calling to '_bond_'? Are you calling to '_mend_' our relationship! Cuz let me tell you something...There is _NOTHING_ to fix or mend or or bond because as far as I know you fucked that all up a _long_ time ago. So stay in your little world, keep screwing half the goddam city and beating on whichever person you can get your pathetic hands on but you leave us the hell alone. " Her voice was heavy with anger, her tone cold and fierce and her breath began emanating in spurts from her flared nostrils as her lips drew together so tightly, they were turning white.

"Santana I-"

"Rot in hell." She jammed her finger into the off button ripped the phone away from her ear and slammed it onto the table.

Rachel flinched.

Santana felt her blood pumping angrily through her veins. She stood up fast pushing the chair back, forgetting all about her sore muscles and quickly regretted it as white hot pain shot through her legs.

"OW, ow, ow ow." She winced and slowly sank back into the chair, massaging her hand into her thigh, kneading the tender muscles. "Screw him." She grit through her teeth as she felt her anger bubbling up and out of her body, "I HATE HIM! I SWEAR! I FUCKING HATE HIM" Santana slammed her fist onto the wooden table.

Rachel jumped and flinched when the sound echoed through the ktichen and it was then that Santana took a calming breath. The older brunette unclenched her fist and brought her eyes up to meet her younger sister and when she saw the terrified look on Rachels face, her icy shield that had wrapped itself protectively around her heart instantly began to thaw away.

* * *

><p>It had been years since Puck had heard his father's voice. He couldn't believe he was calling.<p>

Now.

After all of this time.

He stormed out of the house and made his way down the driveway. He stalked right past the neighbor Mrs. Ferguson, the desperate housewife, who was shamelessly trying to get his attention. He marched right through the sprinklers going off in front of the Jones' yard, not even caring as the spray of water hit his right side. He wasn't registering anything around him as his feet pounded against the pavement and his legs continued to carry him down the block.

Puck's mind was racing and he had the sudden urge to punch something. When they left New York they made it clear that their father was to never contact them and in the beginning it had been ugly but after a while, the threats and the lawyers and the phone calls stopped. Rob became a bad memory, a bitter taste in their mouths and they had moved on, starting a new life, a more "normal" life in small town Ohio. But yet here he was ,years later, the man decides to drop a call out of the blue.

_What the hell does he want? Man I hate him. Let him try and pull something. I'm bigger than him now. I'm not afraid of that son of a bi-_

"Corcoran...don't think too hard or you'll hurt yourself"

Puck was quickly drawn out of his thoughts and he raised his head, darting his eyes around the street looking for the source of the voice until he spotted the girl sitting on the front steps of her house, idly watching him. He had apparently walked around the entire gated community of Lima Heights Adjacent without even realizing and found himself near the entrance right in front of the Fabray Residence.

He nodded in Quinn's direction and walked over so he was standing at the foot of her carefully manicured front lawn, the faintest trace of a smile playing on his face and his ever so cocky demeanor appearing as he eyed the blonde before him.

"The only thing I heard coming out of your mouth just now Fabray was something about me and being hard" His lip curled into a devilish grin.

"Get your mind out of the gutter _Noah_" The cheerleader snapped and angrily rose an eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest.

Puck placed his hand over his heart and winced, acting as if her words physically hurt him and he wagged his finger in her direction. "Touche _Lucy_. Touche"

Quinn's eyes narrowed to slits, that boy always had a comeback for everything. "You. Are. _So_. Annoying."

Puck's grin grew wider.

Quinn shook her head as she leaned back onto the front steps resting her elbows on the cement, "I thought you guys were like on house arrest or something." The blonde brought her hand up to her hair and twirled a golden strand between her fingers.

"We are." Puck unzipped his hoodie and couldn't help but smirk when he saw the cheerleaders eyes fall to his perfectly sculpted abs. "Like what you see?" He wagged his brow and Quinn quickly tore her eyes away and glanced back up at her best friends arrogant brother, "As if Corcoran."

She sat up and rolled her white t-shirt up to just below her chest, showing off the toned abdomen she had earned over the years from cheering. "Besides I was just comparing. Mine are better." She smirked and rolled her shirt back down, resting back onto the step.

Puck let out a low whistle and leaned forward. "You want me. Admit it."

Quinn shook her head, "Grow up Puck." and she smiled, a genuine smile. One that Puck had only ever seen a few times. He knew those smiles were a rarity and he could remember every time he ever saw one, from the very first day his sister dragged the blonde home and announced they were 'bfs's' or whatever it is they say and the handful of times after that. He was suddenly drinking in this smile and storing it in his memory, adding it with the rest of his collection of Quinn Fabray's sm-

_Wait. What the hell are you doing. Stop being such a pussy_

Puck stood up straighter and cleared his throat shaking away any lingering thoughts from his head.

"So what brings you here anyway?" Quinn leaned over and plucked a petal off a flower that was growing in the rose bush beside her.

The tall football player shrugged his shoulders and took in a deep breath, exhaling dramatically and gazing up at the flaming sky "Just needed some fresh air. Wanted to show off these babies around the neighborhood." He flexed his muscles.

Quinn crossed one leg over the other and brought the petal up to her face, pressing the soft velvet lightly across her cheek. Her eyes roamed over Puck's face, searching. She knew their was another reason entirely as to why the jock had been wandering around the neighborhood, so deep in his thoughts and looking hopelessly lost.

There was a sudden burst of noise and the loud shouts and sounds of a couple arguing came from inside the house behind her.

Puck glanced over at the house and looked back at the cheerleader. He watched as Quinn's eyes glazed over a bit and the lazy playful demeanor she had slipped away. Her stone face reappearing and taking it's place, the one she wore so well around school.

He could hear a lady angrily yelling and her eye caught his.

"I needed some fresh air too" Quinn shrugged her shoulders. Puck nodded and their eyes locked onto each other as the two came to a silent agreement.

Their contact broke when the sudden sound of a car horn beeped twice. Puck turned around and saw a familiar silver Range Rover parked out on the street in front of him.

His mother's voice rang out of the car as she lowered the window, "Hi Quinn!" Shelby waved over at the girl who spent so much time over the house already.

"Hey Mrs. C" Quinn waved.

"Shelby sweetheart. How many times do I have to remind you." She smiled warmly at the blonde cheerleader who blushed slightly.

"Say goodbye Noah." Shelby spoke in that tone as she pushed up her oversized sunglasses. Puck saw the no-nonsense look on her face and he turned around and zipped up his hoodie.

"Goodbye Noah," Puck nodded in her direction, "C'ya around Fabray."

"Bye..._Noah._." Quinn quirked an eyebrow as the tall football player stopped mid stride and slowly turned around, narrowing his eyes at her.

There it was again, that smile. Puck curved his lip up in a grin. He turned back and headed for the front seat of his mother's car.

"Bye Shelby" Quinn waved over as Puck closed the door shut and shrank into the front seat, tugging on the strings of his hoodie.

"Bye Sweetie! Say hello to your parents for me."

"I will" Quinn forced a smile and as his mother eased the car forward, Puck kept his eyes trained on the cheerleader, watching her through the mirror.

She grew smaller in the distance as they drove down the street. Shelby put her signal and the last thing Puck saw before they turned onto another street was her dark silhouette, sitting idly on the front steps of her house, gazing up at the flaming sky alight with deep purples and pinks and blood orange.

Shelby kept stealing side glances at her son and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"So why were you over by the Fabray's house? You know the rules Noah, it's school and then straight home. That's it." She turned down another street and waved as she passed a neighbor.

Puck tugged on the string of his hoodie and his knee started bouncing, he slumped his shoulders into the seat and stared out of the window at the houses that were becoming larger as they continued driving towards their block, "Because..."

Shelby glanced again and Puck knew what he was about to say would have an affect on her and sure enough Shelby inhaled sharply and gripped the wheel as Puck muttered the words, "Dad called."

* * *

><p>"Noah."<p>

The girls had been watching tv and quickly glanced at each other as they heard their mother's voice and stood up from their spot on the couch, Santana doing so a lot slower than Rachel.

"NOAH!" They heard the jingling of their mother's keys and their brother's footsteps storm into the house, stomp down the hall and pound up the stairs. Seconds later they heard the slamming of his bedroom door and the obnoxious sound of the bass from a rock song thumping from his room.

Shelby dropped her keys against the small table in the foyer. She turned around and saw her girls standing in the hallway staring at her.

"Hi babies" Shelby walked over and placed a kiss on either of her girls heads. "Rach honey can you please take this to the kitchen. One of my new students parents own a restaurant and he brought us food." Shelby handed Rachel a large brown paper bag, "Total suck up." Shelby spoke with her hands, " But It worked by the way" She said as she headed for the stairs, her hand gripping the railing as she turned back around towards her girls, "Family meeting in five. I'll be down in just a sec."

The two girls glanced at each other, knowing full well what was about to happen. They heard a sudden rush of noise as the music grew louder, signifying their mother walking into Puck's bedroom. Then they heard Shelby yelling something about being disrespectful and the consequences of slamming doors. They heard the quick stride of heels crossing the floor and the snap of an ipod being forced out of the dock, the loud bass coming to a sudden silence.

Rachel and Santana shared a look and decided to head to the dining room table, the place where all of their family meetings took place. Rachel took her usual seat and Santana slowly eased her way into the chair across from her. The girls heard their mother yelling quickly followed by the sudden pounding of footsteps that were making their way down the stairs. The footsteps grew louder and soon enough Puck sulked into the dining room, a scowl etched into his face as he walked over and yanked a chair, scraping it across the floor and throwing himself down onto it.

Their mother's footsteps clacked against the wooden floor and she appeared shortly after, ipod in hand, looking calm and collected as she walked to the head of the table and elegantly sat down.

She cleared her throat, tucked the ipod into the pocket of her black blazer and folded her hands out in front of her as she looked into the eyes of her three children, "I'm sure you all know why I called this family meeting." She cleared her throat, "Your father called me last week," and cautiously looked at her kids.

Puck was drumming his fingers onto the table, Santana had a snarl on her face and Rachel was nervously playing with her thumbs.

"He told me he wants to see you guys." Shelby held her breath and just as she suspected her eldest both exploded.

Puck and Santana began yelling at once, talking over the other as Rachel just sat back and stared, eyes wide.

Shelby held up her hands, "I TOLD HIM..."She spoke over her kids and when they quieted down she spoke again, " I told him of course that was out of the question. I don't want you kids to ever have to see him again."

"No shit." Santana folded her arms across her shoulders. Puck nodded in agreement and Shelby's eyes snapped towards her oldest daughter. She narrowed them but pressed forward.

"I had a lengthy conversation with him over the phone. I thought I had made myself clear, but obviously the man has other agenda's." Shelby let out a nervous laugh.

"He called today." Rachel mumbled and all eyes fell on the tiny girl. "Twice."

"He called again?" Puck sat straighter and leaned against the table.

"Yeah he did and I gave him a piece of my mind." Santana scowled.

Shelby glanced over at her oldest daughter, already imagining what Santana, the daughter who seemed to have inherited her similar temper could have possibly said. Before she could ask however, her son did for her, eagerly leaning on his elbows, "What did you tell him! What did he want? I hung up on him earlier."

"I basically told him he can go fuck himself and to leave us the hell alone."

"_Santana_"

"What! The man has serious problems if he thinks he can all of sudden want to form a relationship with us again. He can go crawl in a hole and die for all I care."

Shelby closed her eyes, shook her head and pressed her hand into her temple.

"Listen. As your mother all I want is what's best for you kids. I wish I can protect you guys from everything bad in this world. I never want to see you guys hurt." Shelby's eyes fell onto Rachel, her baby and she whispered, "ever again." She sighed and continued, "I realize that's almost impossible to protect you and keep you wrapped up in a little bubble away from harm. You guys are getting older, " She glanced at Noah, " And I know our life hasn't been exactly easy, "She glanced at Santana, " But we've been making it work. Together..us four.. " She squeezed Rachel's hand.

"Exactly we don't need him so I don't know why the fu-"

Shelby interrupted her daughter, " _Santana Ava Corcan." _causing the older brunette to clamp her mouth shut.

_I hate when she goes all government name on me_

_"_I know we don't need him. Thank God we don't need him. But this entire situation isn't easy...and at the end of the day...he is still...your father."

"Hell no he is not!" Santana slammed her hand on the table.

"Santana _please" _Shelby held her hand and looked pointedly over at her daughter. She glanced over at Noah who simply shook his head and she turned her gaze towards Rachel who just sat quietly looking down at her fingers.

"Rob told me he wanted to see you and I forbid him." Shelby spoke with a fierce tone as she held out her hand affirmatively. "But I realized it's not my decision to make. So I'm going to ask you...do you guys want to see him?" Shelby looked around the table and Santana immediately answered.

"No."

Shelby nodded and turned towards Noah, "Noah?"

Puck frowned as he bounced his leg and growled an answer, "No."

Shelby nodded and turned towards Rachel, "Sweetheart?"

Rachel shook her head and quietly spoke the word, "no."

"Okay then it's settled." She folded her arms across the table, " You don't have to see him. I'll call him tomorrow." Shelby stood up from the chair and pushed it back in it's place. She walked over and placed a kiss on top of each of her kids head. "You know I love you guys right. Very much."

Puck stood up and walked over, engulfing his mother in one of his famous bear hugs "We know mom. We love you too." Shelby loved his hugs.

"Good. Then let's go eat. I wanna hear all about your day at school today and I can tell you all about mine."

Santana and Puck headed for the kitchen and Shelby lingered in the dining room, watching as Rachel slowly stood up from her chair.

"You okay baby" She wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter and gently placed a kiss against Rachel's temple. She knew her daughter wasn't okay. She knew none of her kids were okay with the entire situation but she just wanted to take their minds off things. She hated seeing them this way. God she hated that man so much for what he was doing to them.

Rachel nodded and leaned into her mother's embrace, she knew her mom was still upset with everything, despite her smile. But that was just her mom, she always had a smile for everything regardless of the situation. Rachel didn't want her to worry so she kept her feelings to herself, hugged her back and carefully followed her into the kitchen.

Puck was already taking the food out of the brown paper bag and Santana was grabbing the plates.

"What is this stuff?" Puck asked with a mouth full of food as he bit into something that looked like a meatball.

"That's a falafel." Shelby walked over and grabbed it away from her son before he could eat the entire meal and leave them all with nothing.

"It's good" Puck sat down at the table and Santana rolled her eyes. She still felt bitter and angry but she was trying to keep up a face for Rachel's sake at least.

"Who sent you this food?" The older brunette asked as she served herself.

"A new student of mine, he just transferred in from a different school district. He gushed that I was the best vocal coach and he brought me food."

"Suck up." Puck spoke before he stuffed his face.

"He has a good voice though." Shelby took a swig out of her bottle of water. "And he's a cutie" Shelby nudged Santana's shoulders and the older girl dropped her fork with a loud clang and glared at her mother.

Shelby stifled a laugh "So how was school?" Trying ease the situation and get a light conversation flowing.

"Eh it was school." Puck shoveled another forkful into his mouth.

"Rach sweetie?" Shelby turned towards her youngest knowing that was the only thing she was getting out of her son.

"It was good mom. I got my math test back today and I got a hundred." A small grin formed on her face as she took a tiny bite of her food.

"That's my baby girl. What about you San?" Shelby kept up her smile as she went around the table.

"Sucked. Dearest William gave us a pop quiz in spanish and I almost killed this girl today at practice" Shelby shook her head and laughed, her daughter was something else. She glanced again around the table at each of her kids, she didn't know how she got so lucky. They were strong. They would get through all of this.  
>She just knew they would.<p>

* * *

><p><em>an: Sooo again hope you enjoyed this one. It was really hard to write lol. This one should have been out sooner because I had it written out already...but halfway through I decided to just scratch it and do it over. This story is beginning to write itself lol. I have an outline in my head of where I want it to go and I'm realizing that as the chapters keep coming it's pretty much unraveling itself. Does that make sense? Anyway that's enough rambling... Let me know what you guys think! And thank you soooo much every single one of you who reviewed. I totally 'gleek' out every time one of you fabulous readers review. Thanks again! xox_

_And since you guys take the time to write a review I decided to take my time and write you all responses_  
><em>ajunebuga- hahaha glad you liked! thanks for the review!<em>  
><em>marinka4- we will def be seeing mama bear shelby soon. And dear old Robert will be making an appearance soon ;) I hope you liked the chapter thanks for your review!<em>  
><em>twilight2892- ahaha thanks glad you liked it...i was trying to come up with something funny Sue would say. thanks for reviewing!<em>  
><em>Ninjagleek21-thanks for the cookie ;) lol and their a flashback is def in the works! thanks for your review! <em>  
><em>Elphaba Tropp Menzel- thanks! <em>  
><em>mistressamy- so funny you mention jesse ;) lol<em>  
><em>keal- thank you! I was worried it was going a little slow. :)<em>  
><em>bforethesunsets- ahaha cliffhangers r fun and they will be starting soon.;) <em>  
><em>TheTBone- Yay I loved your review! Long ones are always the best and I'm glad your liking the story. Of course Shelby can take him down ;) Thanks again!<em>  
><em>Emz711-hope you liked the chapter! thanks for your review! <em>  
><em>broadwaybound2016-lmaoo thanks! <em>  
><em>TMOLMRENT- thanks! <em>  
><em>lovedevil82- thank you <em>  
><em>beaner008- hope i didn't disappoint! thanks for your review!<em>  
><em>curlyhairedgirl-lol the pace is definitely going to be picking up now!<em>  
><em>i-taylorlautner- ahaha cliffhangers are fun. lol hope you liked this chapter!<em>  
><em>Gleek1990- Thank you! hope you liked this chapter!<em>  
><em>banjojd-Thanks for the amazing review! I'm working on the next flashback and it's going to pick up right where the last one left off ;) <em>  
><em>beckg77-THANK YOU! :D <em>  
><em>gleepotter- hahaha I always say that too! I'm a biggg finchel fan ;) and also a big fan of over protective brothers lol hope you liked the update!<em>


	11. Chapter 11

**Ahh so sorry I didn't update sooner. Here's a nice long chapter to make up for it! Love you all and let me know what you think ;)  
>Enjoy!<strong>

**(sorry in advance for any grammatical errors. Like I said I suck at catching those)**

* * *

><p>Shelby Corcoran was a lot of things. She was an English teacher at Carmel High School. She was the coach of an award winning show choir. She was the proud mother of three incredible, smart and beautiful children. She was a two time Tony award winning actress and she was one out of the handful of people from the 1987 graduating class of McKinley High to actually leave the small town of Lima, Ohio.<p>

Yes. She was successful.

She was strong.

She was defiant and she was proud.

But those weren't the only things that defined Shelby Corcoran.

She was also the wife of an abuser. She was the mother of children exposed to domestic violence. She was the single mom who uprooted her kids from the only life they knew of penthouses, trust funds, limos and private schools and fled to the quiet country life of Lima, Ohio. She had been blind. She had fallen drunk with the toxicity of the city and she had been credulous to believe the father of her children. The man she had once been so much in love with. The man who tore her world to pieces.

Now she was broken.

Now she was damaged.

Now, as she lay alone on her massive bed with bloodshot eyes staring up at the trayed ceiling she felt incredibly naive.

She truly felt like a fool.

_What was I thinking?_

She kept hearing her ex husband's mocking voice in her head.

_"What did you think you could hide in hick town forever Shel?"_

Didn't she? Isn't that exactly what she thought. Those were her intentions. She fled New York with the kids and brought them to the only place she knew they would be safe.

_"I have every right to see them. There my children too and I'm better now. I'm not the same as I was before. I __will__ see them Shel and honestly there's nothing you can do to stop me."_

_Ha._

The man was insatiable. He was stubborn and relentless and went after whatever he wanted with an unruly steadfast manner. Right now he wanted to see the kids. For some reason Shelby couldn't wrap her head around, he wanted to reappear in their lives after she had worked so hard at healing them from the last time he was present. She didn't understand. She didn't like the way her world had been rudely interrupted by one single phone call. One phone call that had resurrected their haunted past and threatened their future.

Their was a sudden beep and Shelby sighed and turned her head towards the alarm clock on her nightstand.

_2:30 am._

She ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath. She should have been asleep. Yet here she lay in the middle of the night, torturing herself and worrying over the bastard who all of a sudden wanted to play 'house'.

_Tomorrow will be a new day. You have to pull yourself together for the kids. I'm sure he's not losing sleep over this so why should you be. It was just a phone call. Let him try and come near them. He doesn't know what I'll do to him._

Sighing Shelby turned on her side and buried her head into her pillow. She inhaled, trying to quiet the raging storm that was brewing inside her mind and ease the tension from her body. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to take over.

It would have happened, if it weren't for the sudden twitch her leg began doing. She stuck out her leg, stretched it far and wide on the bed and brought it into a new position and waited for the sleep to take over.

It should have worked that time too, if it weren't for the impossible itch that developed on her arm and to top it off her pillow felt funny. Huffing, Shelby grabbed her pillow in frustration and flipped it over, hoping the cooler side would do the trick.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, with her twitch gone, her itch barely noticeable and her impending thoughts harbored safely in the back of her mind Shelby felt the sleep take over. Her body had relaxed and her mind was straddling consciousness. She was on the cusp of falling into a deep sleep when the sudden creak of her bedroom door and groan of the floorboard snapped her eyes open and hurtled her mind out of it's sleepy stupor.

"Mom?"

The quiet voice caused Shelby to lift her head up off her pillow and prop her body on her elbows. She squinted into the dark and blinked a few times before mumbling, "Rachel?"

She could just make out her youngest standing nervously in the doorway, one hand gripping the doorknob and one hand tucking a strand of chestnut brown hair behind her ear. Shelby patted the empty space beside her and watched as Rachel practically dove for the bed.

"Honey you okay?" Shelby stared down at the the young brunette as she climbed under the covers, scooted her small body back towards her own and pulled the sheets securely up under her chin.

"Rach?" Shelby intertwined her fingers gently through her daughters silky hair, shifting her weight and hugging her closer, suddenly feeling her youngest trembling beside her.

"Baby? Rachel honey what's wrong?" Her heart clenched and her voice rose as she cooed and softly nudged her daughter's shoulder. She moved her arm securely around Rachel's waist and tried to calm the small tremors that quaked the tiny frame as she showered the top of her head with light kisses.

Rachel laid still in her mother's arms, suddenly frozen with guilt as she heard the worry etched in her mom's voice. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She inhaled through her nose and took a deep breath, catching the faint scent of her mother's shampoo, body scrubs and lotions all mixed together creating the familiar smell that was unique to her mom and she let it calm and wash over her.

Shelby was panicking.

"Rachel?" "Rach!" "Rachel!"

_What's wrong. Why isn't she talking. Why isn't she talking! Not again._

Rachel took a deep breath and pulled her voice out from within her chest as she spoke quietly into the dark, "I-I couldn't sleep mom..th-thats all."

Shelby blew out a breath of air she didn't realize she was holding upon hearing her daughter's voice. She kept her arm firmly around Rachel's waist, satisfied that she had indeed answered but completely unconvinced with the validity of the response.

Rachel's body stopped shaking. She snuggled closer to her mother and took comfort in her warm embrace. She didn't want to tell her that she had the hardest time falling asleep. She didn't want to tell her that she had awoken crying in her room, trembling and terrified from an eerily familiar nightmare.

She felt her mother's fingers brush through her hair and heard the pain strain in her voice.

"Baby _talk_ to me."

_Please_

"I didn't mean to wake you mom. I just couldn't sleep. C-can I just stay here with you tonight...please?" Rachel didn't realize she had an iron grip on her mother's hand.

"Hey." Shelby desperately wanted to take away all of her little girls fears so she pulled her in closer and hugged her tight. "Sweetie don't you ever apologize for coming to me." She brought her lips down and kissed the soft waves of Rachel's hair, feeling the younger girl nod in response."You can come and wake me up for whatever reason no matter the time." She pleaded with her daughter. "Always! And you can tell me anything. Anything at all. I'll always drop whatever it is I'm doing and listen." Shelby lowered her voice, "Capiche?"

Rachel nodded quietly silently questioning whether she should tell her mom about the nightmare or not. "Capiche." She exhaled and spoke in a soft voice as her eyes fought against the sleep that came so easily in the safety of her mother's embrace. She lay there for a while just listening to her mom's deep breaths.

"Mom?" She whispered, letting her eyes finally flutter shut.

"Yeah baby." Shelby's fingers traced over Rachel's hair soothingly.

"I love you." Rachel felt her body surrender as her chest rose and fell softly.

"I love you too sweetheart."

Shelby kissed her daughter on the cheek and ran her fingers back gently through her silky hair, "Go to sleep now baby. You have nothing to worry about. I'm right here."

The soothing voice was the last thing Rachel heard before she succumbed to exhaustion.

* * *

><p>The sudden smack to the face and the quick jab of a knee to her side awoke Shelby with a groan. "Ow." She mumbled as she brought a tired hand and removed Rachel's hand from her nose, placing it gently back across the smaller girl's chest. The knobby knee in her side dug further in before she removed that too.<p>

At least her daughter had fallen asleep. Shelby had been worried all night and kept waking at the slightest murmur or twitch from her youngest. To say she didn't sleep that well was an understatement.

Sighing she glanced over at the alarm clock.

_6:00 am_

At least she had another half hour or so to rest before getting up and starting a brand new day. A brand new day that would be void of any troublesome thoughts or qualms in her demeanor. Just as she was closing her eyes, Shelby heard footsteps padding slowly down the hallway and stopping just outside her door. The creak and the groan of the floorboard had her hastily propped up on her elbows squinting at the figure standing just outside her room.

_Who would be awake at this time?_

Santana was standing in the doorway, her hand running through her disheveled hair and mouth open wide in a yawn. The tanned brunette darted her eyes back and forth between the two inhabitants lying in the bed and her brows furrowed together. "What is she doing here?" She asked as she sauntered into the room.

"She couldn't sleep last night" Shelby absentmindedly ran her fingers through Rachel's hair as she answered Santana's question and watched as her oldest plopped herself onto the bed beside Rachel.

Santana sunk into her mother's incredibly soft mattress, almost forgetting the reason she came into the room in the first place. She spoke into the pillow, her voice muffled and incoherent. "I-mphpmh-tice-mph-thirmpty"

"Wha?- ooof!" Rachel's leg had painfully found it's way across Shelby's lower abdomen.

Santana lifted her head up off the pillow, "I said I have practice at 6:30. Sue is trying to kill me and I can't be late." She dropped her head back down, suddenly fantasizing about her coach getting blown out of a cannon and landing in a jungle infested with psycho-bitch eating monkeys far far away.

"6:30? But it's already 6!" Shelby sat up and eased her legs over to the side. So much for resting for an extra thirty minutes. She glanced back at her two daughters in reassurance and locked away the fears from the previous night as she stood up and stepped into her warm slippers.

"San you said you had to be there at 6:30 right?"

Santana groaned as she rolled over and stared at the ceiling, " Yeah. Noah's in the bathroom already. He has his run practice thingy." She felt too tired to construct words in a sentence. Instead her eyes fell on the limp form sleeping beside her and frowned, "Rachel has to get up too." She grabbed a hold of the pillow her sister was resting on and yanked it out from under her, causing Rachel's head to bounce against the mattress in a rather unpleasant way.

"_Santana_. That wasn't very nice." Shelby scolded as she made her way over to her bathroom, "Your sister couldn't sleep last night."

Santana's forehead creased. Ten bucks said she knew exactly why Rachel couldn't sleep and her frown deepened as she glanced back over at the midget breathing softly next to her.

"How did she not feel that? Wake up Rach!"

"_Santana_" Shelby poked her head around the door and raised an eyebrow at her older daughter.

The tanned brunette ignored her and quickly leafed through her own thoughts. Rachel probably had a nightmare which was the reason why she came to their mom's room last night. That means Rachel had been thinking about their dad. Santana curled her fists. She didn't want Rachel to have to worry about anything and decided she was going to try to keep her sister's mind off of everything the best way she knew how.

She uncurled her fists and felt the corners of her lip rise up into a smirk. Santana grabbed the pillow she had maneuvered away from Rachel and yelled "Get up Rach!" She waited too see if the younger girl stirred and curled her lip farther as she brought the pillow smashing down.

The younger girl awoke instantly, kicking the covers off of her and flinging her arms in the air, "SAN. TAN. A!" She threw her hand out in a lame attempt at smacking the older girl but Santana swiftly moved out of the way. Rachel huffed in annoyance and glowered a '_hmph_' before she turned and curled back into a comfortable position.

"_Girls_" Shelby chastised from the bathroom.

"Come on Rachel get up!" Santana ordered. "Quick Kurt's here!" Nothing. "He's waiting for you inside the closet." The older brunette slid off the bed as Rachel lay unmoving, trying to block out her sisters voice. Santana glanced over her shoulder in the direction of her mother's enormous bathroom, and grinned when she saw the door was thankfully almost closed, obscuring her view just enough.

Inside, Shelby was washing her face, avoiding looking into the mirror, afraid of seeing her eyes reflected back at her. The would only betray her and slice right through her petty mask of strength she wore protectively around herself. Shelby scrubbed hard and felt the tiny beads scrape away against dead skin cells, exposing a brand new layer of skin. She dipped her hands under the faucet and splashed her face with cool water. She grabbed her towel and patted her face dry at the exact time she heard the sudden sound of a loud thwack followed by Rachel's piercing cry.

"Mooom!"

"Santana" She called out in an unenthusiastic voice as she picked up her toothbrush from it's holder. Seconds later she heard a burst of laughter and a scrambling of two sets of footsteps. There was a slam of a door followed by pounding of fists and the unmistakable yell of Rachel's voice and the muffled cackles of Santana's.

Shelby rolled her eyes as she rinsed her mouth.

_Mornings._

"MOOOOOM!"

_Here we go again._

* * *

><p>They had managed to get out of the house with ten minutes to spare to get to the school. Shelby must have told Puck at least twenty times there was no need for him to speed. If they were late. They were late. Better be safe than sorry. Sue and Bieste would just have to deal.<p>

So Puck drove well under the speed limit as he made his way towards school, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel and bobbing his head to one of his favorite bands. Beside him Santana's head was bobbing as well, and her manicured nails tapped the beat of the song against the window as she sang along to the chorus.

"_Lovin is what I got. I said remember that_"

Rachel was quietly sitting in the backseat. Before she left the house her mom pulled her into a tight hug and told her not to worry about anything. She was going to try, for her mom and for Noah and Santana too. Besides, she wasn't a baby anymore, there was no need for her to get worked up over this. Right?

Rachel watched her two siblings in awe, for once they weren't fighting over the music, they were actually both contently listening to one single song without either of the two yelling obscenities or having a full out finger battle over the buttons on the radio.

It almost made her not want to ask them to change it. Almost.

The younger girl grabbed onto the back of the front seat and leaned forward."As much as I'm enjoying this rare moment between you two actually agreeing on a song, I'm going to ask if you can pretty please change this pothead music to something else. Thank you." Rachel fell back against her seat and smiled.

Puck and Santana slowly turned their heads back to stare at her.

"Please?" Rachel's smile faltered.

Puck faced forward, keeping his eyes on the road and Santana shot her sister a smirk.

The smug cheerleader brought her finger over to the knobs on the radio and for one second Rachel actually thought she would change the song. Instead Santana turned the volume all the way up and the speakers at the back of the black mustang boomed loudly, causing Rachel's back to vibrate and her head to pound in protest.

The younger girl covered her ears with her hands. Santana laughed and Puck grinned, shaking his head and jabbing his elbow into Santana's arm. He glanced through the rear view mirror and caught Rachel scowling back at him. Smiling he lowered the volume, "The song's almost over Rach. Besides we're pulling into the school now."

"Meanies." Rachel grumbled as she lowered her hands from her ears and when Puck put the car in park she practically leapt out of the backseat.

A ford pick up truck pulled up next to them and out hopped the Hummel/Hudson brothers. Finn climbed out of the truck and slammed his door shut as Kurt gracefully got out of the ford, careful of not ruining his clothes against the rusting door and pushed it closed with the tips of his fingers. He spotted Rachel and rushed over towards her.

"Hey Rachel!" Kurt bounded up to the brunette, smiling enthusiastically.

Santana glared at him, there was no way any normal human being had that much energy at 6:30 in the morning.

"Hey Kurt! Ooo is that the new coat!" Rachel smiled.

"Yes!" Kurt twirled around in his long coat for his friend, "You like?"

"Love." Rachel beamed.

"Marc Jacobs" Kurt sang as he held out his hands.

The taller brunette was standing behind the two watching their interaction with a dangerous smirk on her face. "Oh. My. God. Are you serious!"

Kurt turned towards Santana oblivious to her underlying tone, "Yes!"

"Like Oh My God! NO wayyyy!" Santana swatted her hand with a plastic smile on her face.

"Yeah do you like!" Kurt twirled for the oldest Corcoran, beaming and still oblivious to the false excitement.

"Do I like?" Santana's white teeth beamed at Kurt for one glorious moment before she straightened her eyebrows and perched her lips, "Aha! _No_."

Rachel thought Kurt looked as if he were suddenly deflated. The boy poor glowered at the older girl.

Santana busted out laughing as she brushed passed them, "Hummel you make it too easy for me. See you later munchkin. Bye Inspector Gadget!"

"Evil." Kurt stared at the cheerleader and watched as she caught up with the rest of the Cheerios, linking arms with two blondes and disappearing into the gym.

Rachel slid her arm around Kurt's and led him towards the school, " Come on let's practice that song for Mr. Schue." She was already forgetting about the measly little problem as she coaxed her best friend who kept mumbling over and over that Satan was a cheerleader and evil had mocked Marc Jacobs.

Oh the horror!

* * *

><p>"One more lap boys!" Coach Bieste didn't need a megaphone as her voice boomed across the field.<p>

The team collectively groaned, but the captain smiled. He effortlessly turned around, jogging backwards as he faced the tired faces of his teammates.

"Come on you fat asses. This is easy. Last one back to the finish line's a cocksucker!" Puck yelled and turned and sprinted off around the track, his feet digging into the ground and propelling him forward. His teammates were momentarily paralyzed before they too took off sprinting after him.

Nobody wanted to be a cocksucker.

Coach Bieste looked up and smiled as Corcoran came sprinting over to a stop in front of her, Hudson right behind him as the rest of the team trickled in after.

The last person to make it around the track was wheezing and gasping for air as he caught up with the rest of his teammates.

"Karofsky's a cocksucker! Ahaha!"

The team erupted in laughs and pointed accusing fingers in the jocks direction.

"NO I'M NOT! I HAVE ASTHMA!" He yelled and punched the person closest to him. Azimio barely felt the hit and whammed his fist full swing right back into Karofsky's arm.

"Alright alright leave him alone. Hit the showers!" Bieste grabbed her clipboard and timer off the metal bench."Corcoran could you come here for a second."

"Yeah Coach?" Puck had a sheer layer of sweat around his skin. He took off his shirt and pulled it around his neck as he grabbed his bottle of water and drained it into his mouth.

The rest of his teammates were already crossing the fence that surrounded the field and were walking into the gym.

"Corcoran your one of my best players." Bieste patted his sweaty arm as Puck grinned.

"Thanks Coach"

"Your welcome." She made a face and wiped the sweat from her hand on her gym shorts. "Now you remember this summer you went to the football camp at OSU?"

Puck nodded. He remembered all right. Not for nothing but he was one of the best ones in the entire program.

"Well I got a couple of scouts coming in next game. One of them remembered you from the camp and made a couple phone calls."

Puck tried his best at hiding a smile that was tugging on his lips.

"We're having guys from OSU, Auburn, Delaware, University of Michigan and West Virginia come up."

Puck nodded taking in the information and kept a serious face. Inside, fireworks were exploding throughout his body and he was jumping like a little girl.

"Now. Your good Corcoran. I have no doubt in my mind that your going to get offers for these schools. That means a full ride, a full scholarship, a chance at playing college ball." Bieste started walking towards the gym.

Puck was listening intently walking slow beside her.

"But there's one problem." She suddenly stopped. "Your grades."

Puck froze.

"Son football is great. Yeah it's fun. But school's more important. Without the grades there's no way your getting those scholarships."

In all honesty Puck didn't need the scholarship. He knew money wasn't really a problem and he could easily pay for the school without breaking a sweat. But what was there to pay if he wasn't eligible for playing football. He loved football and never really thought about playing it in college before. He always assumed he would go into business or something. He remembered when he was younger his dad would always tell him he would take over his practice once he grew up and became a plastic surgeon just like him.

_Yeah right._

"Now I've spoken with your teachers. We've come up with a gameplan. You need to pick up your GPA and your going to retake you SATs in October. That's less than a month away I know but if you devote your time I have full faith that you can do it. Your a smart man." She clasped her hand on his shoulder and made a face again as she wiped her now sweaty palm on her shorts.

"You're sister has good grades. She scored extremely well on her SAT's. Now would you mind if she tutored you?"

Puck frowned and folded his arms across his chest as he thought of Santana, making Bieste nod her head and laugh.

"Thought so. Anyway we're going to set you up with a tutor. You'll work with them everyday after school until you start picking up those grades. Enough playing around. It's time to get serious son. Understood."

The pair had made it inside the gym and Puck glanced up just in time to see a pyramid of cheerios topple over.

"Yeah coach. I understand. I'll work on my grades. I promise."

"Good." Bieste went to clasp his shoulder, but stopped just before her hand made contact with his sweaty skin. "Now go hit the showers."

Puck watched his coach walk away and he turned towards the cheerleaders, feeling a pair of hazel eyes boring into him.

He grinned and nodded his head in Quinn's direction before dipping into the locker room.

Quinn's lips twitched. It wasn't a smile. It wasn't even a grin. It was a tiny twitch upward, one that Santana caught immediately and she furrowed her brows as she looked at her best friend then glanced over in the direction of the boys locker room.

"You all disgust me." Sue blared into her megaphone. "Now go shower before I change my mind and make you do ten more sets of suicides." The cheerleaders scrambled towards the girls locker room as Sue mumbled, "They think this is hard? Pft. They don't know hard."

* * *

><p>"<em>What?<em>"

"You know what."

"No. WHAT! Stop staring at me like that it's freaking me out S." Quinn reached over and pulled the heavy book open.

"Ooh are we playing the staring game. I'm so good at this. Watch." Brittany leaned forward and rested her chin in her hands as she stared at Santana. She wasn't even in their class, this was advanced English, but she had a free period anyway.

The girls were in the library huddled in a corner table away from everyone else. They were supposed to be working on an assignment. It was a big mistake on the teacher's part to separate them into groups.

_Assignments my ass. Converse first. Assignment later. _

"What's up with you and my brother?"

_"What _are you talking about." Quinn flipped through the pages of a book, attempting to search for an answer to the questions they were supposed to be working on.

_"You _and my brother. You both gave each other this...this look. This weird look. It grossed me out." Santana stared at her friend in disgust.

Beside her Brittany kept her chin propped up in her hand, unmoving and unblinking despite the burning she felt behind her eyes.

_"_It was nothing weirdo. He stopped by yesterday that's all so he was saying hi I guess."

_"_He stopped by? When!"

"Yesterday after school. He was walking around the neighborhood looking like a lost puppy."

_"_I love puppies."

Santana glanced in Brittany's direction, "Britts you won the staring contest. There's no way I can ever beat you." She gently pulled the blonde girls arms down as Brittany grinned and clapped happily. "Yay I won!"

_"_You did." Santana beamed then scowled at the librarian who barked at them to keep quiet.

_"_So wait he went _over_ over?"

_"_No I was sitting outside on my steps. He just happened to walk by and act like a complete ass as usual."

Santana fell back onto her chair and slowly nodded.

_Oh it makes sense now._

"Wait...You were sitting outside?" She raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer to the table.

"What's with the questions anyway? Lemme ask you something Santana why are _you_ being extra bitchy today?" Quinn countered and raised an eyebrow of her own. The two friends stared at one another and held their glare, their eyes battling it out each of them trying to gain the upperhand.

"Oh are we playing the game again!"

After what felt like a grueling hour Santana fell back into her seat, folded her arms across her chest and sighed as she took in her best friend's appearance. Q was the only person Santana ever really trusted, besides Brittany that is. But her and Q were more alike than they even realized and often found themselves arguing over silly things. Santana opened her book and glanced down at her notes.

"Were your parents fighting again?" She mumbled as she flipped through the pages, chancing a peek at the blonde sitting across from her.

Quinn slowly nodded as she capped her pen and placed it down on the table, "Let me guess. Did something happen with Mr. You know who?"

Santana nodded and turned the page, "Parent's suck."

"No they don't. Your mom's awesome S. Your dad sucks yeah and Quinn, your parent's are making a huge mistake by spending all their time fighting and ignoring what they have right in front of them." Brittany stared at her two best friends and the girls both smiled softly at her. "So parent's don't suck. They just act stupid sometime."

"Why are you so smart Britt?" Santana said and fell into the tall blonde's hug.

"I don't know. But the answer to that question is wrong. I met a four once, and it didn't look like that." Brittany pointed at the sentence Santana had written down in describing metaphors. The two friends shared a look then glanced back at Brittany.

"B don't ever change."

"Okay."

* * *

><p>Mr. Schuester stood in front of his glee club and clasped his hands together. "Alright guys. You all had your assignment to come up with a mashup of a classic song and a new song."<p>

Kurt's eyes found Rachel's from across the room and he gave her a smug look.

"So let's hear what you all came up with." He grinned and made his way over to his chair, "Who wants to go first?"

"Mr. Schue B, Q and I will go first and show everyone how things are done." Santana provocatively stood up and winked at the boys sitting down.

Rachel thought it was funny Santana was so eager to go first when just earlier that day she had been complaining about having to go to glee club.

"Okay ladies great. Let's hear what you got."

The three Cheerios stood in the classic Charlie's Angel's stance and Santana shot her finger in the direction of the band. "Hit it!"

The three girls sang out a mashup of James Brown, "This is a Man's World" and Beyonce's "Who Run the World." Starting off with James Browns bluesy classic and exploding in sexy dance moves with Beyonce's lyrics, teaching the gang about the power of women through song and dance.

The guys all whooped in appreciation. All except Artie who received a smack to the arm from Tina. And Puck who sat with his arms folded across his chest, glaring at Mike Chang and Matt Rutherford for calling Santana sexy.

"Wow. Ladies. That was.." Mr. Schuester stood up when the song finished and the room erupted in applause.

"Hot. We know. Thanks Schue." Santana strutted her way back towards her seat and almost fell when her brother kicked the chair out from under her.

She clenched her fists, shot him a look and mouthed the word 'asshole', but Puck just glared back, his muscles flexing over his chest and his jaw tightening.

Matt leaned forward and was about to make conversation with a smug Santana, but Puck grabbed him roughly by the shirt and pulled him back down onto his seat, boring his eyes into him. Matt shrunk and held up his hands.

Puck narrowed his eyes and eventually let go.

"Okay whose next?"

Mercedes hand shot up. "Mr. Schue even though that was crazy fire, Matt and I are ready to show everyone how things really get done. Soul power baby. Come on Matt." The two singers shot up and Kurt watched with a smile and winked in Mercedes direction as he folded his leg over the other.

"Hit it!" Mercedes pointed in the direction of the band and the two belted out their Mashup of Michael Jackson's Pretty Young Thing and Lil Waynes How to Love, teaching the gang about love through their own unique song and dance.

When they finished the class exploded in applause. Santana winked at Matt, but the jock quickly averted his eyes from the cheerleader and caught the terrorizing stare of her brother.

"Excellent. Great job you guys!"

Rachel praised her friend and Mercedes giggled as she sat back down beside the small brunette.

"Alright next group."

"We'll go!" Kurt shot his hand up in the air and pulled Rachel up with him in front of the room. "We're going to be singing the classic Beatles song, 'With a Little Help from my Friends' mashed with the amazing 'Season's of Love' from Rent showcasing our fabulous talent and teaching you all an unforgetable lesson on friendship."

"Just sing already Inspector Gadget." Santana shouted from her seat and Kurt snapped his eyes in Satan's direction and narrowed them to slits.

He cleared his throat, ignored the sly smirks from the three cheerios and pointed at the band,"Take it away." And he began with the opening of the song from Rent. When it was Rachel's turn, every person sitting on the red plastic chairs felt their hairs stand up on end. Her flawless voice rang out perfectly and the two were greeted with an uproar of applause when they finished.

"That was amazing!" Mr. Schue clapped his hands and Rachel shyly smiled as they two were surrounded by the rest of the glee club.

"Nationals is in the bag this year!" Mr. Schuester grinned and smiled at the misfit group of students all huddled together around their two youngest members. The year was definitely looking promising.

* * *

><p>"No. No. NO NOO!" Shelby ran her hand against her temple and massaged her head as she looked away from the kids standing on the stage.<p>

"That is not theatricality!" She yelled and the students from Vocal Adrenaline cowered at their fierce coach.

"Let's take it from the top!" She shouted from her spot out in the audience, overlooking the large manicured group of students that made up the award winning team Vocal Adrenaline. They were number one in the nation. She had led them to winning seven national titles in the past seven years in a row and she would be dammed if this years group took away her eighth title.

The kids on stage mumbled and whispered to each other, Coach Corcoran was ruthless. Mrs. Corcoran was a tough but nice teacher. They didn't know Shelby Corcoran.

She would never let them see that side of her either. Her team needed to fear her and respect her, not befriend her. This wasn't girl scouts.

"Um Coach Corcoran." A voice sounded on her left and the poised coach glanced over, sparing the student a few precious seconds of her time.

"What is it St. Johns."

"It's St. James Miss."

"_Whatever"_

"Um I was just noticing, while I greatly admire and praise your coaching abilities, I think it's detrimental to the group as a whole if you keep Haley and John in the front."

Shelby had stopped paying attention to the new kid when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She pulled it out of her black pants and frowned as she read the name appear across the screen.

"St. Bernard lead them into the next song." Shelby stood up and stepped down from her podium, not even bothering to look up at the young boy.

"I have to take this phone call."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sooo crazy long chapter. I'm not used to writing long chapters but I tried my best to make it up to you loyal readers. Sorry i took so long to update It's been a crazy past few days. We celebrated my Grandpa's 85th birthday and I had family flying in from all over, aunts uncles cousins and my sisters came down for the weekend from school and needless to say it was impossible to write but I finally go it done. :D I hope you liked this chapter. The next one will be up asap! xox._

Ninjagleek21-Your cookies are amaze as usual. Glad you liked Santana tearing him a new one and I promise a flashback will be up next chapter! Hope you liked this chpt. Thanks for the review!  
>ajunebuga- I never thought about putting him in cahoots with Rob. Loving that idea lol. hmm just might have to borrow that if you don't mind. Thanks for the review! lol and there will be a flashback next chapter!<br>marinka4-Thank you so much!  
>twilight282-hmm just maybe he is lmao. I think this chapter answered your question. thanks for the review!<br>FinchelFan16-Ahh thank you! There are def some protective brother storylines in the works and definately a love interest for Puck. ;)  
>Elphaba Tropp Menzel- Thanks for your review!<br>w1cked- there will def be things hitting the fan when and if he shows up ;) but have no fear Shelby will be ready. thanks for the review!  
>mistressamy-yes I can!<br>bforethesunsets-I hope you realized that review seriously made my day! :D Sorry I took so long Hope you liked this chapter! :D  
>NayaFan- Thanks for the review! Santana is a force to be reckoned with lol<br>EmZ711- Thanks for the review!  
>The TBone- Okay your review made me LOL. Glad you liked awesome Shelby, sexy Puck (Ilovehimtoo) shy Rachel and badass Santana. So muchas gracias for your amazing review! Hope this chapter made you muy feliz!<br>SadPanda13- Thanks so much for the review!  
>CurlyHairedGirl- you are right my friend lol thanks for the review!<br>broadwaybound2016-really! aww lol im sorry lol but thanks for your review! I agree tho Eff Robert ;)  
>Asnbehappy-Muito obrigada! E eu prometo que havera mais Shelby e Rachel! Thanks for the awesome review!<br>MidnightMoon2-Thanks for the review!  
>gleepotter- glad you liked it! thanks for the review!<br>beaner008- thanks for your awesome review! I wrote this asap and Im patiently waiting for you next amazing update!  
>val-cb- thanks for the review!<br>GleeLove04- Jajaja gracias! Ese review me hizo reir :D Me alegro que te gusto mi perfil y la historia! Te voy a decir una cosa, me encanta hablar tambien y habeces hablo demasiado lol. Bienvenidos desde Nueva York! Thanks again for your awesome review! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :D

ps. theres this crazy thing where you can message a person after they leave a review..hmm i think ill try that for the next chapter lol.


	12. Chapter 12

**Ahh it's been forever I know! I've been crazy busy :/ Here's a super long chapter for my amazing readers though.  
>(please excuse any grammatical errors. I'm sure there's a few sneaky ones in here that got away from me.) Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p>Shelby stormed out of the auditorium. Her heels clacked loudly against the empty halls of Carmel High School.<p>

She pressed her weight against the metal handle and pushed open the heavy double doors that led to the back parking lot. The phone kept buzzing obnoxiously loud in her hand.

She took a deep breath, gulped down the crisp September air and pressed her thumb down over the talk button. She brought the phone to her ear and heard that all too familiar voice smile on the other end.

"_What_" She snapped.

"Woah." She could hear his smile. She could just see his annoyingly tanned handsome face. "Well hello to you too Shel."

Robert Corcoran, _Dr._ Robert Corcoran, strolled out of his much larger, much more renowned, 5th Avenue office. It wasn't the same as the one on Park Avenue. This one didn't have the cozy worn leather couches, the gold trimmed waiting room stacked with magazines and pamphlets, the young blonde receptionist behind the front desk, the carpeted halls, or the office with his ornate mahogany desk lined with pictures of the smiling faces of his wife and kids.

No.

This one was white, and steel, and industrial looking, and decorated by the cities leading interior designer who had been hired and paid a substantial amount of money to create that new modern look that reeked of "sexy", "young","hip" and "rich". Those were the words the flamboyant designer and his team had used after they tossed the old pictures claiming it took away from the office's ambiance. It worked though, the office boomed with instant success. New York's elite were actually competing for one of the highly coveted appointments. There was no price too high and no shameless connection too blase for a chance at the magic hands of Dr. C to work wonders on their aging faces. To keep them all looking young, beautiful and plastic.

Rob winked goodbye at his nurses, he nodded his head as he passed the young brunette model receptionist and smirked as he heard his ex-wife bark into the phone.

"_Don't_ call me that."

Miles away Rob Corcoran stepped out into the busy city streets and walked over towards the parked black Lincoln town car waiting for him.

"Don't call you what.._Shel_?"

"Yes _Rob_. Why the hell are you calling back. I already told you this morning" She was dealing with a child.

"Or did you not understand what I was saying? Do I need to put it in simpler terms for you to understand and get it through your thick head?" She wasn't looking for an answer as she spoke quickly and harshly into the phone, "Well then _here._ Let me break it down for you again _Rob._ They _don't_. Want. To. See You!"

"But they-"

"NO." Shelby cut him off, "They don't want to see you. End of story. Goodbye Robert."

"Shelby. Shel? Shelb...dammit." Robert slowly brought the phone down from his ear. He settled back into the black leather and stared out of the window watching the city rush by.

He wasn't going to give up without a fight."Change of plans," He tore his attention back inside the car and spoke to his driver, "We're not going to Le Bernadins just yet. I need to make an important stop elsewhere."

Shelby angrily tore the phone away from her and seriously contemplated smashing it against the brick wall.

Just once she wanted to be able to understand the mind of Robert Corcoran.

How was he so relentless?

At least she didn't give him a chance to talk this time. Screw him and his ability to talk his way out of any situation.

There was a time though where she used to fall for it.

There was a time where she believed everything that came out of his mouth. Those days were done.

That Shelby was gone.

New York City 2002

_Shelby Corcoran belted out the last notes of "I Dreamed a Dream." She was standing on the stage, the warm spotlight hitting her shoulders and igniting that feeling she felt whenever she was doing the one thing she loved most. She had come a long way from being the naive little girl of Lima Ohio with the big dreams of one day making it on broadway._

_She had turned her dreams into a reality and now here she was, playing Fantine in Les Miserables. She had done it. She had made it. She had fallen in love all over again with the lure of the theater. That wasn't only the thing that stole her heart._

_He was the son of a wealthy banker and when they first met he was only a med student who just happened to stumble upon the small cafe she had been working at to make ends meet. She was barely scraping enough money together to pay for the rent in her tiny little studio apartment in the Village. She was truly living the life of a struggling artist._

_And yet here she was, after all of that hard work and a Tony under her belt, she was one of the most sought after and highest paid actresses on Broadway. Her and Rob, the love of her life had built a happy family together and lived in her dream apartment in the city, The Eldorado, overlooking Central Park. They had the most beautiful children imaginable, Her precious Noah. Her baby boy, her happy unexpected surprise. He was such a precocious child and made her truly realize how much love her heart was capable of producing. Then came her gorgeous baby Santana and her love grew even more. San was such a spitfire even at such a young age. She was definately daddy's little girl and Shelby adored the relationship the two shared. Then finally came her youngest. Just when Shelby thought her heart couldn't possibly expand more. Her sweet baby girl who had the ability to light up any room was born, her Rachel. Shelby swore she was the luckiest woman alive. She sometimes found herself pinching her arm just to make sure this wasn't all still just a crazy fantasy dreamt up by the Lima Ohio school girl ._

_And as she stood up on that stage, searching deep inside and loosing herself to the character Fantine, she tried her best to relate to her. To relate to that woman, coming from nothing , rising up despite the harsh society and the constant bereavement she endured. Here was a woman who had to care for a child, when a man had fooled her and left her to raise and love a child on her own. Shelby tried her best to understand where this woman came from, she tried her best to relate to her thinking how hard and difficult it must have been._

_She had Rob, she had her family, she had security, her life was far from Fantine's. But she was an actress dedicated to her art and so imagining Fantine's situation and completely throwing herself in that state of mind was just another part of her job._

_And Shelby was good at her job._

_"That was excellent!" The director actually stood and clapped, mesmerized by the woman's ability to completely loose herself in the character and delivering such a strong and believable performance._

_"Let's take ten and when we get back we can start from the beginning of Act I" The director folded his glasses into his pocket and Shelby took a moment to compose herself. That song always took her away to another place and left her emotions scattered._

_She felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her torso._

"_I swear I don't know how you do it B. You truly are amazing, If only I were straight."_

_She coyly smiled at her famous friend and spun around in a complete 180 to get a good look at him._

_"Oh please don't give me that "I don't know what you're talking about John" He spoke in his best Shelby impersonation voice and the actress laughed at her friend. "You are one fierce actress and you know it!" He snapped his finger and engulfed her delicate hand in his as he led them both off stage and towards the dressing rooms._

_" Your not too bad yourself J." She grinned._

_"I know" John raised his shoulder and displayed his best demure look. Shelby's laugh bubbled up from her stomach as she headed for the door that had her name emblazoned on the plaque in front of it._

"_Oh good Shelby, your cell phone keeps ringing, I didn't know whether I should pick it up or not?" Her make-up artist swiveled in the chair positioned in front of the vanity mirror._

_"Oh I'll take it thanks Ange." Shelby smiled, and glided towards the phone._

_"By the way you did amazing as usual." Angela stopped just outside the door as she gave her client her much deserved compliment, "The audience is going to be blown away by tomorrow night's performance!"_

_"Thanks Ange!" Shelby waved and crinkled her nose as she picked up the bulky black wireless phone and brought it up to her ear._

_"Hello?" She smiled and nodded her head and waved as Angela closed the door to her dressing room._

_The unmistakable voice on the other end caused Shelby's smile to widen and her heart to soar._

_"Sweetheart!"_

_However the usual cheery voice belonging to her eight year old was no where to be heard. "Mommy you have to come home." The sound of her daughter's voice definitely confirmed that she was indeed crying. "Now!" She wailed._

_The poised broadway actress felt as if she were strapped in a roller coaster. She had just delivered an emotional performance, then felt a sudden high of happiness only to have her emotions dip back down once again as she heard the fear behind her daughter's voice._

_A million thoughts and questions raced through her head._

_"Santana?" She heard sniffling and knew something was definitely wrong. Shelby was instantly up on her feet, already grabbing her coat off the hanger, throwing her things inside her bag and heading straight for the door. "San honey what happened? Why are you crying?"_

_She heard more sniffling._

_Where was Grace?_

_"Ah Berry ..er.. I mean Corcoran. Still keep forgetting after all these years. There's a change I want to go over with you in the last line.." The Director spoke to her but Shelby held her hand up and stormed right passed him._

_"I'm sorry Dave but I have to go home. It's an emergency!"_

_Apparently being one of the highest paid actresses in_ _the production allowed you some leeway, because Shelby walked right out of the theater during dress rehearsal without anyone stopping her._

_She made it uptown in record time. She threw a twenty dollar bill at the cab driver the minute he pulled up to the curb._

_"Your change lady!"_

_"Keep it!" She ran right passed Joe, stormed into the elevator and rode the 29 floors in silence, combing over every possible situation. She had finally managed to get a few coherent words out of Santana, and her daughter eventually sputtered out something about Rachel and being hurt and crying and her daddy._

_Shelby's feet carried her down the hall and quickly into the penthouse where she threw her things down by the foyer and headed straight for the bedrooms._

_"Kids! San? Rachel! Noah! Mommy's home" She didn't even bother looking for the nanny she just walked right towards Rachel's room and felt relieved when she saw her three kids all huddled together on the bed._

_Rachel was laying down in the middle as Santana had her arms wrapped protectively around her from the back and Noah just lay arms folded behind his head next to her on the other side, offering comfort._

_"My babies what happened!" Shelby rushed over, the worry apparent and etched on her face._

_Noah quickly jumped and ran over towards his mom as Shelby bent down eye level with her son and engulfed him in a hug._

_"Mom I don't know dad came home and he was mad and he yelled at Rachy and then he just left." Noah was talking really fast._

_"Slow down buddy" Shelby ran her hands gently through his soft hair._

_"Dad was just real mad." Her nine year old shot his eyes over to the bed and Shelby stood up and followed his line of sight._

_"Mommy." Shelby could see her oldest daughter was trying her hardest to keep a brave face on, that was her San, always competing to be the "toughest" I guess it must have been a family flaw._

_Santana sniffled and reluctantly removed her arms from Rachel and brought them up and around her moms slender neck. She buried her head in her moms chest and her body shuddered._

_"It's okay baby I'm here. You did good by calling me."_

_Santana pulled away and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, "Mom?"_

_"Yeah honey." Shelby wished there was more of her to spread out evenly and comfort each of her three children. She kissed Santana and moved over towards Rachel._

_Her youngest was lying still on the bed, she barely even acknowledged her presence. "Rach baby" Shelby scooped up her daughter and the little girl let her head droop limply against her mother's shoulder. Shelby ran her hands soothingly along her tiny back._

_"San honey can you explain to me what happened please? And where is Gracie!"_

_She braced herself._

_"Mommy Noah and Me came home and and Rachel wasn't in the playroom like she usually is you know and I found her crying in my room and then I asked what was wrong but she wouldn't tell me. She still hasn't told me and then Daddy came and he was really angry mom. Like REAL angry and he grabbed Rachel and he pushed me and said bad words and he said she was punished and told me not to talk to her or go into her room. Then he left." Santana rushed out and started sniffling again._

_"But I didn't listen to him mommy I ran into the room and Ray was crying and she has a bruise on her arm mom look." Santana walked forward and pointed at the large purpling bruise._

_Her heart had been numb with worry before to the point where Shelby thought it had stopped beating. But now it was one hundred percent responsive and ramming angrily in her chest._

_She was furious._

_Where was her husband? What did he do? And where the hell was Grace!_

_"Rachel my sweet girl can you tell me what happened? Can you tell me what happened with you and Daddy? Please talk to mommy." She gently shook her shoulder and kissed the top of the tiny's girl head._

_Whatever had happened had clearly left her daughter traumatized to the point where she wasn't talking._

_To anyone._

* * *

><p><em>Shelby had been pacing the floor, cradling Rachel and offering soothing words. She was wracking her brain with worry, trying anything to get her speaking.<em>

_The only progress she made was that Rachel had wrapped her tiny arms around her neck and gripped tight._

_"Mommy I think daddy's back." Santana stuck her head in the door with a worried expression on her face._

_Shelby shot up not realizing how her little girl began to tremble in fear as she quickly positioned her securely around her waist and grabbed Santana's hand leading them towards her room._

_"San sweetheart, please stay with your sister and close the door." She tried her best to remain calm and not alert the kids as she walked over towards the bed and gently lay Rachel down, the little girl didn't want to let go but Santana was able to coax her to unclench her fingers, "I'm gonna go talk with Daddy kay girls."_

_Shelby stood up and had to forcibly pry herself away from the room, "Noah honey can you go check on your sisters please?" She cupped her sons face as he nodded and obeyed. "Kay ma."_

_She watched him turn down the hall and disappear behind the closed door. Only then did she let herself head over towards the main entrance, silently thanking the enormous size of the apartment and hoping there was enough distance so the kids wouldn't be able to hear anything because she was about to rip into her husband._

_Rob walked into the penthouse wearing one of his classic suits, his appearance completely different from when he stormed off earlier. He had a bouquet of roses in one hand and a giant white paper bag with flaming red letters spelling FAO Schwartz in the other. He heard his wife's heels approaching him and took a deep breath just as Shelby stormed into the kitchen._

_"Hi honey." He whimpered and placed the bag down on the counter as Shelby frowned and marched right up to him, her eyes ablaze with anger._

_"What the hell Rob!" Her voice rose and bit angrily as Rob's jaw muscles clenched._

_"Santana called me during my rehearsal today. She was hysterical on the phone! Apparently you were drunk or drugged or something! Because that's the only thing I can think of to explain why you came home punching walls and cursing at our kids!" She slammed her hands down on the marble countertop and took a menacing step towards her husband, "There's a bruise on Rachel's arm Rob. She's not talking. WHY THE HELL IS THERE A BRUISE ON OUR FIVE YEAR OLD'S ARM?"_

_Silence._

_"AND WHY ISN'T SHE TALKING!"_

_Robert gulped and hung is head._

_"What happened?"_

_"I know it was a mistake."_

_"What was a mistake! Did you hit Rachel?"_

_Silence._

_"I'm trying to think of what a five year old could have possibly done for you to react that way but I'm having a little trouble coming up with something, so help me out here Rob!" Shelby looked crazed._

_"I can explain." He looked terrible. He looked beat._

_"I'm waiting." Shelby crossed her arms._

_"There was uh an incident at work today and then Rachel stopped by with Grace..." He gripped the back of his neck, "I was just a wreck and you know how Ray can be. She kept asking for me to take her to that toy store and I yelled and got angry and I guess I took it out on her. I didn't mean to Shel." He looked right into his wife's eyes._

"_Rob do you remember what we said, when Noah was born, what you told me? You told me you would never lay a hand on the kids, we agreed there would be other ways to discipline them, but never to hit them." Shelby searched his face and when he didn't answer she shook her head._

_"I just can't right now." She turned on her heel and was about to storm out of the kitchen when a strong hand gripped her wrist._

_"Wait."_

_She stared down at the vice grip he had on her, even if she wanted to she wouldn't have been able to let go of that hold._

_"Please." Rob stepped closer to Shelby and loosened his fingers, leaving white finger marks momentarily blazing on her skin._

_Shelby took a deep breath. Her husband looked stricken with regret, he looked hurt and she fell for his word._

_"Rob...don't ever lay a hand on either of the kids like that again. Do you hear me?" Her eyes bore into his, "I don't care how angry you get or for whatever reason. If your angry then come talk to me or hell call up Len or even Rick and go to the gym or something. But don't you EVER take it out on them again."_

_Rob hung his head._

_"I know. I felt horrible after I left. Where is she?" He looked up and Shelby could see tears forming in his eyes._

_"The three of them are in their rooms still shaken up. I think it's best you give them some time."_

_Rob clenched his jaw and brought his hand down over to the giant bag, "I went out and bought them some things." He pulled out three shiny wrapped toys from the bag and laid them out on the table. "I even bought you flowers and a little something extra."_

_He tucked his hand inside his pocket and emerged a sleek red box with the word Cartier written in gold cursive across. He opened it and revealed the most beautiful diamond neckalce Shelby had ever laid her eyes on. She couldn't help it as much as she didn't want to the gasp escaped her lips anyway._

_"It's a platinum and diamond necklace." He gently lifted the blinding piece of jewelry and lightly trailed his fingers across Shelby's neck, "May I?"_

_She hesitated._

_She looked deep into his eyes and searched every crevice of his face. She dealt with actors on a daily basis and knew all of the tricks of the trade. However her husband was standing before her, genuinely looking sorry, hurt and remorseful._

_She kept her eyes lingering over his as she lifted up her hair and turned, feeling his fingers fumble around for the clasp of her little star chain necklace the kids had given her for her birthday last year. She took a sharp intake of breath as she felt the cold heavy necklace coil around her neck._

_"It's beautiful." She ran her fingers over the diamonds and slowly turned back around._

_"But this doesn't fix things." As much as she wanted it to._

_"I'm still mad at you." Terribly so._

_"What you did was wrong."_

_"I know. I know I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back." He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her._

_Shelby tried to relax into him, she told herself that he had made a mistake. He didn't mean to loose control._

_"I love you Shel. Please forgive me." Rob crushed his lips into hers and pressed his body forward._

_She could smell his cologne, it was always her favorite and it masked the growing aggression behind the kiss, painting it over with what Shelby confused for passion. So she tepidly kissed back._

_Rob sighed and leaned his forhead against hers, gripping her shoulders tight. "I truly am sorry. Shel please believe me. I even made reservations for us at Tavern on the Green. You know how I feel about that place, but it's Rachel's favorite. I know how much she loves it there. I blame your brother and his bad taste in restaurants for that one."_

_He clutched her hands and pulled away, "Come on, please. Dinner with just us five. Let me make it up to you guys." He tore away and Shelby watched as he picked up the toys and headed towards the kid's rooms._

_She took a deep breath._

_He said he was sorry._

_He almost cried._

_He outdid himself to make up for it._

_He did say it wouldn't happen again._

_So why was that sickening feeling settling deep down in the pit of her stomach, emitting a faint, low rumble._

_Like thunder just before a storm._

_Growling far away in the distance hours before the sky cries and the lightening rips it open._

_Like a warning._

* * *

><p>"Mrs. Corcoran?"<p>

Shelby snapped out of the trance she was in. Apparently she had found her way back into the auditorium because she was standing beside her podium and that annoying kid with the mop of curly hair was asking her yet another question. She regained her composure, used all of her energy to bottle up the feelings threatening to spill out and take over her body and turned towards her student.

"Yes? Saint um...Saint ah..."

"James."

He had a lot of passion for the theater. She could see that. She could smell it. He had the same passion she had once possessed herself .

"Yes" _There we go I have to stop messing up his name_, "St. James?"

"Did you enjoy that rendition of the performance piece?"

_They were performing just now?_

"No." She noted how his face fell, but if this kid held the same passion she had he needed to work hard for it, he needed to fight for it.

"It needs work. LOT'S OF WORK!" She shouted over to the rest of her students. There was a collective groan which stopped as quickly as it started when she scolwed in their direction. She didn't have the energy to deal with them right now.

"Practice is done for today."

Whispers and murmurs shot out through the group of students assembled on the stage.

Coach Corcoran rarely cut practice early. Like _Ever_.

She could feel herself on the brink of exploding and all she really needed at that moment was to see her kids. For them to make her laugh and remind her again why she needed to stay strong.

"I said practice is finished now get off of my stage!" She spoke with authority and the students scrambled and jumped to their feet, all slightly wondering what could possibly be wrong, yet secretly happy to be done early.

Shelby sighed content with herself.

Rob always made her question everything, he made her question her perfect schedule, he threw everything out of whack.

Shelby didn't like loosing control so when she saw the students obey her, when she saw the authority she had on them and familiar respect they gave her she calmed. This she knew. This she still had control of.

"Mrs. Corcoran"

_Again St. James? Really!_

"Not now Rick James"

Jesse gulped and opened then closed his mouth repeatedly.

Shelby grabbed her oversized bag and slung it over her shoulder, pausing and pivoting on her heel.

"On second thought, we'll continue this at six am practice tomorrow morning everyone!"

She stepped down from the podium and turned away from her groaning students, only letting the smile play on her lips when her back was securely facing them.

_still got it._

* * *

><p>Sue and Will had come to an agreement after a very much heated argument over interfering practices. The Unholy trinity was allowed to attend the first half of Glee club with Will and then Sue had them for the rest of the evening till 5:30. The same agreement was made regarding the football players.<p>

They had to divide their time somehow.

Rachel had stuck around after Glee club with Kurt, (they usually waited together for their siblings to finish) but today Carole had picked him up early for a dentist appointment.

"That was the worst practice ever."

"You said that yesterday." Rachel closed her book and collected her things. She stood up and quickly fell in step with her sister.

"That's because today hadn't happened yet. As of yesterday, that _was_ the worst practice ever." Santana slowly shuffled forward and grimaced in pain.

The side door to the gym banged open and three girls dressed in the red cheerleading uniform walked out, immersed in a conversation.

Santana quickly straightened herself, hid the pain she felt and scowled in their directions.

"You!" She barked and marched over, her finger jamming into the face of the cowering Cheerio standing in the middle.

"Larry Curly and Moe. Thanks to you genius heffers we all had to run an extra ten sets of suicides."

The Cheerio in the middle gulped.

The two flanking her sides shrunk.

Santana snarled.

And Rachel bit her lip and hung back against the wall, trying her best to hide.

"You lard asses are going to pay." Santana snapped and her eyes roamed over the three Cheerios, a blonde trying to stand in the middle and two brunettes failing at keeping their cool cowering behind her. She recognized their stance, they may have had some sort of pull back in their little middle school but they were nothing here. They were mere freshman. They were bottom feeders. And they had to realize their dirt licking position at this school.

"Take notes!" She barked and the three quickly jumped in attention.

"Sylvester needs the trophies polished before school starts, I have a spanish paper due by 5th period tomorrow, Math homework due by 7th, and I'll take my grande chai soy latte hot please. Actually make that three of them. B and Q will want one too."

"San.." Rachel bit her lip in warning. It was then that the Cheerio in the middle glanced in her direction, suddenly aware of her presence.

"Hey! Eyes front lard ass." Santana snapped her fingers in the young Cheerio's face.

The girl's lip twitched and she felt like saying something.

"Did you get all that?" The tanned brunette sneered.

But nobody ever went against Santana Corcoran so the three younger girls kept their mouths shut and simply nodded their heads.

"Good. It better be done by tomorrow. Or best believe I'll go _all_ New York on your asses."

The girls cowered in fear.

"Why are you still standing in front of me? Leave!" She knew she was being harsh on them. But it was a harsh world. They would just have to deal.

The three girls jumped and the one standing in the middle shot one last look in Rachel's direction before they took off running.

"Psht. Freshman." Santana grinned. She loved having that power over them. The uniform gave it to her and so did her name. She was Santana mother effing Corcoran for crying out loud. Okay so maybe the fame partially started with her brother. Whatever. She'd never admit it to his face. But technically it was him. And his friends. And his "badass" ways. And his popularity that secured Santana's social status at McKinley from the beginning. She had everything handed to her from the moment she entered the big scary halls during her first day back in ninth grade. She was "Puck's little sister", even though there was only a year difference between them. But because of that, the halls parted like the red sea and people flocked to meet her every need just so they could be in Puck's good graces.

"San was that really necessary?"

_Oh yeah, there was Rachel now too._

"Absolutely." Santana turned and faced her sister, she had to make sure everything was paved perfectly for Rach now as well. She paused as she noted the younger girls nervous appearance and squinted her eyes questioningly...wait a sec.. "W_hy_?"

Rachel shrugged, pulled her lip between her teeth and started walking towards the parking lot.

"_Rachel" _Santana pressed and quickly caught up with her.

"No reason." Rachel shook her head and her soft brown waves bounced around her shoulders.

"Bull. Spill." Santana stepped in front of her and quickly darted her eyes around the parking lot. There was still a certain reputation she needed to uphold at school...and "sweet mushy push over big sister" was _not_ one of them.

The coast was clear.

"Please?" She stuck out her bottom lip and widend her eyes. "You can tell me I pwomise."

Rachel fought a smile and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. She looked down at her shoes and glanced up again at the ridiculous face the supposedly "evil" cheerleader was wearing.

"I-It's nothing San really. It happened a while back. Honest it's fine."

Santana's pout disappeared.

Evil bitch cheerleader face was full on.

"Wait is that the girl that gave you a hard time in middle school?! That's her isn't it. That stupid little Riley girl?"Santana fumed.

Rachel felt a small trickle of panic begin to swell to a full on stream. "San honest it's no big deal it's okay-"

"Oh just _wait_ till I see that little heffer' n' company tomorrow!" Santana let out a quick laugh. " Dam. I wasn't hard enough on her. I'm gonna make that little witch pay."

"San" Rachel shook her sister's shoulder and snapped her out of her scheming.

"It's okay they don't bother me anymore. They haven't for a while. You don't need to do anything."

Santana scoffed and furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean Rachel!? If someone bothers you...you stop them. It's never okay. Ever. Nobody should ever have that right over you?! Rach there's nothing okay about it."

Of course it wasn't okay. Why was Rachel always like that? Always thinking she was a burden or something? Always trying to hide...

Santana felt a pain in her chest as she stood before the younger brunette. She was about to open her mouth and explain to Rachel exactly why someone needed to punch that estupida in the face when she felt something bounce off of the back of her head.

"Sup losers."

She dropped her jaw in shock then quickly clenched her teeth together.

She bend forward and snatched up the crushed paper cup that had just assaulted her head.

"Hello Noah." Rachel glanced in the direction of her brother as he dodged a flying object. He wasn't alone and she felt her heart start racing in her chest, "Hi Finn."

The tall football player's face split into a wide smile "Hey baby Corcoran."

_Baby_? _I'm not a baby,_

The word jumped out at her and she tried her best not to look crestfallen as she forced a smile. Beside her, her sister acknowledged the tall boys presence.

"Finessa. Must you always be up each other's ass?" Santana grumbled as she raised a brow.

"Like it's any different from the blonde bimbo's permanently glued to your side?" Puck shot back as his sister scowled in response and the two began shooting insults at each other.

Back and Forth.

"Hey isn't that your moms car?" Finn spoke and the oldest Corcorans tore their menacing eyes away from the other and glanced questioningly over at the silver Range Rover driving up towards them.

Rachel kept her eyes trained on Finn as he waved happily in her mother's direction.

"Hi guys." Shelby rolled down the window.

"Hey Mrs. C!"

"Hi there Finn. How are you honey?"

"Pretty good thanks." Finn grinned innocently.

"How's school going? Your getting good grades I hope and staying out of trouble?"

Puck bowed his head and suppressed a laugh as Finn nodded profusely.

Santana thought he looked like an overgrown child with special needs. She rolled her eyes and sneered. _Pathetic._

"Hey mom how come your not coaching Vocal Adrenaline?" The Cheerio walked over and leaned into the open window as her mother placed a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Your brother's car needs an oil change and a tune-up."

"Oh yeah I forgot!"

"Oh yeah" Shelby mocked her son.

"You going over to my step-dad's shop?" Finn asked.

"Yes sir."

Rachel tore her eyes away and suddenly ran towards the other side of her mother's car. She slid into the passenger seat and swiftly clicked the seat belt in place.

"Ha! I get to sit in front." She smiled triumphantly.

"Thank God! No smelly little sisters in the backseat right San." Puck winked and Rachel stuck out her tongue.

Shelby looked over and laughed as her daughter leaned in for a hug and kissed her cheek, "Hi mom."

"Noah honey I'll follow you to Burt's shop."

"Kay."

"Buckle up Santana!"

"Uh huh."

"Bye Finn."

"Bye Mrs. C! I'll see you this weekend probably when Puck's not punished anymore." Finn leaned forward and waved with a grin, "Bye Rachel. I'll see you tomorrow around school and stuff."

"Yeah bye F-finn."

Shelby watched her daughter with an amused look on her face. She waved one last goodbye and rolled out of McKinley's parking lot.

"Seatbelt." Their was a small smile dancing on her lips.

"Got it." Rachel answered.

"Good." Shelby followed Puck's car. "So how was school today baby? Did you have a good day?"

"Yeah. It was mediocre. Nothing too interesting happened."

"Mediocre huh?"

"Mhmm." Rachel glanced out the window.

"I was thinking about you all day." Shelby lowered the volume just a little bit on the radio.

"You were?"

"Of course. I was worried about this beautiful daughter of mine that I have and how she didn't get enough sleep last night." She raised a brow and eyed the tiny brunette who was seated next to her. Shelby swore sometime she was looking right at a younger version of herself.

"Oh right." Rachel looked sheepishly down at her hands, "I was okay though." She quickly faced her mom, "Honest." She paused for a moment and thought carefully before asking the question that seemed trapped in her mouth. "Did you um. Did you get to talk to him today?"

"Yes I did." Shelby suddenly slammed her foot on the break hard and her arm instinctively shot out and held Rachel back. Puck had stopped short in front of her almost causing her to crash into the back of his car. She frowned and could see his guilty face through the mirror.

"_Noah"_ She grumbled and brought her arm back towards the steering wheel.

"That was a close one." Rachel nervously laughed and Shelby huffed out a deep breath and shook her head, feeling her heart climb safely back down from her throat and into her chest.

"As I was saying...We spoke baby and I think he got the message this time." Shelby glanced at her daughter and watched as Rachel wrung her hands together and chewed away on her bottom lip.

"Well what if he doesn't." Rachel spoke quietly, "Get the message I mean."

"Then we'll deal with it if and when that happens." She kept a safe distance between her car and the black GT Mustang. "But it's not happening now and it's not happening today or tomorrow so you my darling have nothing to worry about." Shelby brought her free hand to cup her daughter's face gently. "Okay?"

"Yeah." Rachel nodded, "Okay." and glanced out of the window.

"So..." Shelby said the first thing that was on her mind, "Finn Hudson's kinda cute huh?" She bit back a smile as Rachel whipped her head in her mother's direction.

"_Mom!_" Rachel felt her face redden.

"What?" Shelby shrugged her shoulders and let her face split into a wide toothy smile. "He has a cute butt."

Rachel shrunk into the seat and buried her face into her hands suddenly wishing she had ridden in the back of Noah's car instead.

* * *

><p>"Put it back." Santana pushed her finger on the button of the radio as the sound of her favorite song filled the car.<p>

Puck hit his finger over the other button and the song stopped playing, "No. I'm tired of hearing them already."

He pressed the skip button and let the sounds of that one obnoxious song that was currently on repeat drown everything out.

"Seriously"? Santana grilled him.

"Yeah and don't change it unless you want to walk. My car my rules." Puck leaned back and kept one hand on the steering wheel. Santana didn't fight back.

He glanced over at her. She was staring out of the window.

"What?" She could feel him looking at her.

"Nothing." Puck kept his eye on the road.

"You better not ask me to set you up with Quinn. I don't know what's going on between you two... but it disgusts me."

Puck slammed his foot on the break. How the hell did she know about Quinn? Wait he never told anyone so she didn't know.

"What are you talking about?" He sheepishly looked through the rearview mirror and saw his mom frown at him. "Oops Sorry Mom."

Santana scoffed, "You can't hide things from me Noah. I know you. Don't deny it either. She told me you stopped by her house yesterday."

"So."

"So exactly."

"So I can't walk around the neighborhood?" He bit the inside of his cheek and Santana knew she caught him right there.

"Whatever you say Noah." She grinned slyly and then a mental picture formed in her head of her best friend and brother and she gagged.

He quickly changed the conversation, "Hey so what do you think about Dad?"

"You mean Robert?" Santana scowled and brought her gaze back out the window, "I don't know and I don't care."

"You think he means it. You think he really changed and like... wants to fix things?" Puck gripped the wheel and Santana tore her eyes away from the window.

"_No_!" She snapped and toned down her voice when she looked at her brother. "Noah a man like that doesn't change. He will never change."

"Yeah I guess." Puck gripped the wheel and bit the inside of his cheek and Santana fell back into her seat.

"I'm worried about Rach too you know. How this will all effect her and stuff." Puck glanced back over at his sister and Santana nodded.

"Yeah I know. We have to keep a close eye on her." Santana looked through the side mirror at her mother and sister laughing in the car behind her.

"No doubt." Puck nodded and Santana glanced in his direction and smiled softly.

"Don't go all mushy on me now." Puck warned and Santana lightly nudged his shoulder as they pulled up into Burts shop.

Both cars parked and Santana and Puck got out of the car along with Shelby.

Rachel stood in her seat.

Burt walked out to meet them and Shelby walked over and greeted her long time friend. They went over the technicalities and Santana decided to slip back into her mother's car.

"Go ahead guys I'm just gonna go pay real quick."

Puck and Santana said their goodbyes and headed towards the parked Range Rover.

Rachel saw them approaching and locked her door. Santana strolled right up to it anyway and yanked on the handle. Rachel shook her head, "_I'm_ sitting in the front San."

"Open the door Rachel!"

Puck moved his sister out of the way, "Allow me." He smirked and Santana decided she'd rather drive home anyway.

"Hey you guys can you please leave your sister alone. Santana I'm driving home." Shelby was approaching the car when they heard a honk of a horn. All four heads turned in the direction of the sound.

"Oh look here comes Mr. Shitster."

"_Santana_"

Puck laughed and they watched as Will drove up and got out of his car, a giant smile on his face.

"What it's bad enough we have to see him everyday. Will Shitster."

"_Santana Av-_Hi Will!"

The cheerleader rolled her eyes and slid in the car, not bothering to say hi to the annoying man.

Shelby made her way over and hugged her friend.

"Hey what are you guys doing here?" He waved over at the kids and brought his hand down when he received a nod from Puck, a wave from Rachel and nothing from Santana.

"Burts gonna tune up the mustang. I think he's keeping it in the shop overnight."

"Oh. Yeah I was driving by and saw your Range Rover." Will studied his friend, her smile didn't fool him, it wasn't reaching her eyes.

"You okay Shelby?" He asked and Shelby inhaled and nodded, "Of course."

Will never dropped his gaze and he watched as his old best friend exhale and shook her head in defeat, "Well no not really."

* * *

><p>"What do you think they're talking about?"<p>

"I don't know."

"He's probably telling her all about his sweater vest collection and how fascinating it is."

"You spend way too much time with Coach Sylvester."

"Then ask her yourself she's walking back."

"_Finally_!"

"Well it's about time."

"What's so wrong with Will? He's nice."

"Says the all knowing midget."

Shelby hugged Will goodbye and made her way back over to the car. She pulled open her door and was startled when she saw Santana sitting in her seat, Puck sitting next to her on the passenger side and Rachel sitting in the back, her face flushed and her hair a mess.

"They tickled me." Her youngest humphed.

"San go to the back Im driving." Shelby motioned and Santana tried her best to stay where she was but in the end her mother wasn't budging.

"Told you she wouldn't let you." Puck grinned.

"Whatever" Santana slid in the back beside Rachel. "So what did El Profe Will want?"

"He's coming over for dinner on saturday."

"Aw man why?! We already see him everyday is it really necessary for him to come over our house too? He's gonna wanna make a lesson out of the food or something and break out into song."

Rachel giggled and Santana smiled at her.

"Guys come on. It's Will!"

"Exactly."

"Its cool mom." Noah nodded his head as they made their way home.

"It's cool mom? Really? Who are you and what have you done with Puck? First Quinn now this."

"Quinn?" Shelby glanced over at her son who whipped his head back and threw a napkin at Santana.

"There's nothing going on with Quinn!"

"You like Quinn?" Rachel asked, suddenly perking up at the idea. Let her brother go after Quinn, that would then leave...

"So! You have a crush on Finn!" Puck shot back and Rachel blushed.

"What!?" Santana stared at her sister as if she were growing another head out of her shoulders.

"There's nothing wrong with crushes." Shelby spoke as the voice of reason in the car.

"Oh so is that what your calling your thing with Will now?" Santana raised an eyebrow and Shelby opened and closed her mouth.

They had pulled up to their house and Puck quickly blurted out, "San likes that Ben Israel kid."

Santana stared at her brother and bursted out laughing, "You are seriously loosing your touch. That's the lamest comeback I have ever heard."

Santana opened the door and hopped out of the car, "Me like Jew Fro? As if!" She clutched her stomach and continued laughing as she closed the door and made her way up the driveway.

"Who does she like then?" Puck asked into the car and turned around to face Rachel, who merely shrugged.

"Okay enough come on everyone out!" Shelby locked the car and watched as Noah draped an arm around Rachel as they walked up the front steps of the house.

"Crazy kids." She shook her head just as Santana called out, "Ma hurry up I have to pee!"

"I'm coming I'm coming."

Yep. They were exactly what she needed.

* * *

><p><em>an: So I hope I haven't lost any readers. I know I hate it when I get into a story and have to wait forever for an update. But my college apps are all done and sent out, senior week is over and I have more time to delve into these characters that live inside my head lol. I really do hope you guys liked this chapter..I'm always nervous about posting these flashbacks (bites nails) Let me know what you guys think and thank you soo soooo much for the reviews! I read and enjoyed every single one of them. I didn't have time to respond to you amazing people this time though because I wanted to get this chapter out as quickly as possible. The next one is almost done so it should be up no later than Saturday..I'm shooting for Friday but we'll see.  
>Again Thanks so much. Love you all xoxo<br>Smily face for everyone :D_


	13. Chapter 13

No this is not a mistake...this is in fact an update. Albeit a short one. But an update.

* * *

><p>There was something different about waking up on a Saturday morning.<p>

Something...special.

It was as if the house understood that there was no need for structured chaos or crazed commotion.

The halls were quiet. There were no shouted questions on the whereabouts of lost articles of clothing or the shrill cry of a reminder that they were going to be late for school. The doors weren't slamming open and shut. The staircase wasn't groaning beneath stomping footsteps frantically traveling up and down.

Instead, a soft dull humming droned the air.

_What exactly is that noise?_

Rachel decided to ask Noah about it later. Whatever it was...she found it to be quite calming actually. It was as if the house was lulling it's dreamers awake. She slowly opened her eyes and took in the sights before her.

The room was still dark with only a sliver of light managing to creep in past the heavy curtains. Rachel followed the bright swirling beam and watched as it illuminated the foot of the massive bed she was currently laying on.

Wait a minute...this wasn't her bed. And this definitely wasn't her room.

She turned her head to the side and her eyes landed on a sleeping form that appeared to be scooted into the farthest corner of the mattress. Eyes still closed, body rising and falling slowly and their hands tucked comfortably beneath their cheek.

That was when Rachel realized she was currently spread out across the majority of her moms massive bed hogging all of the sheets.

She couldn't remember how she had ended up here. She quickly scanned through her memory until she finally landed on the dark corner tucked away in the deep part of her mind and a nice sudden smack of realization dropped in.

_Nightmare. _

Rachel sighed as she raised her head off the pillow and pulled her body up in a seated position. She could never remember the scope of it... just the feeling of waking up terrified, heart pounding angrily against her chest, a layer of cold sweat covering her skin and a looming darkness creeping around her mind.

_When are they going to stop._

With one last heaving sigh, the petite brunette maneuvered herself out of the tangled mess of sheets she was lying under. She slipped off the bed and crept around towards her mother's side. Slowly and as quietly as possible, she draped the covers over her mom.

Shelby didn't even stir.

Content with herself, Rachel turned around and began tip-toeing her way towards the door.

She was halfway across the room when the sudden creak of a floorboard made her wince and freeze on the spot.

There was a rustling of sheets and Rachel glanced back over her shoulder.

"_NonoElphabano._" Shelby mumbled and burrowed further beneath the covers.

Rachel stifled a laugh and continued on towards the door. She slowly pulled it open, stepped out into the hallway and eased the door shut behind her.

It was still fairly early for anyone else to be up.

Especially on a Saturday. Rachel used the hall bathroom across Noah's room and as she passed his closed door she didn't even bother checking to see if he would be awake. Knowing Noah, he would sleep in his cave all day if he could. She made her way down the hall and stopped just outside Santana's room.

_That's weird._

Her door was open, which was strange seeing as San usually slept with the door closed. Rachel poked her head into the room. _Maybe __San's _awake_._

No. There was definitely something sleeping beneath the sea of dark red covers, something Rachel could only assume was Santana. A tanned arm limply hung out over the side of the bed, a striped sock covered foot stuck out from under the covers and a mass of tangled dark hair splayed across the part of the bed Rachel assumed San's head lay. The mountain of dark red sheets kept rising and falling in beat with a serious series of snores.

It was safe to say Santana would not be waking up anytime soon.

Rachel made her way down to the kitchen, deciding on brewing herself a nice cup of tea.

She figured she'd have another hour or two before her mom got up...three more hours till San woke up and God only knew when Noah would wake up.

She walked down into the foyer and rounded the corner making her way across the main hall, walking passed the dining room.

She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going, relying purely on her feet to carry her towards the destination. Her mind was somewhere else entirely...wandering from sleeping schedules to dreams to nightmares to _her_ nightmare and as she rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen her body collided into a thick wall of muscle.

"Holy Shhhit!"

Rachel's mind snapped back into focus. She gasped and jumped, "_Noah_!"

"Geez Rach you scared the shit out of me!" Puck lowered his arms which had instinctively gone up to throw a punch, "I came this close to knocking you out!"

Rachel massaged her shoulder and glowered up at her brother with a frown on her face, "Well Good Morning to you _too_ _Noah_."

"Morning." Puck adjusted his shirt, grinned and made his away around the kitchen.

Rachel eyed him, "What are you doing up at this hour? And why do you have to speak that way. It's vile and repulsive. Think about what your _saying_...defecating on yourself. That's_ disgusting!_"

Puck laughed as he scraped a bar stool back away from the counter and sat down in front a sprawling pile of what Rachel considered to be _junk_. "I am thinking about what I'm saying! I'm thinking... that my sister is a sneaky little creeper-"

"_Noah-"_

_"_Who likes to walk around the house scaring the sh-crap out of people and talks like she's reading from a dictionary always saying these weird words."

He clapped his hands together before picking up a sandwich that was plated before him and taking a giant bite.

"Noa-"

"AND! Willingly wakes up at the ass crack of dawn on a Saturday morning." Puck spoke with his mouth full, "And gets mad when I say things like shit." Puck smirked. "_That's_ what I'm thinking."

Rachel rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air, "I give up." She hoisted herself atop the counter and grabbed a mug from the cabinet and all the things she needed to make her perfect cup of morning tea.

"I'll have you know it's not that early. It's a perfectly acceptable time to wake up. Besides... apparently I'm not the only one who likes waking up early anymore!"

"Trust me I'd rather be sleeping." Puck took another mouthful of his sandwich. "But I have to be up."

"And why is that?"

_There are only two things in this world that would keep Noah away from his precious sleeptime on a Saturday morning...Girls and-_

"Football game." Puck chewed. "Burt scored tickets to the OSU game today and we're tailgating! It's gonna be epic. Didn't I tell you this yesterday?"

Rachel shook her head.

"No? Hmm you must've been sleeping already. Anyway...Burt said something about beating traffic and getting the best spot so we all had to wake up real early and now here I am. Finn said he'd be here in like twenty minutes."

Rachel tried her best to remain calm under the watchful gaze of her brother and act as non-chalantly as possible.

"Oh. Finn?"

"Yup." Puck slowly drew out the word, popping the 'p' at the end and carefully searching his sisters face.

"So..He's coming here?" Rachel poured the tea into her mug and made her way over towards the seat Noah was patting with his hand. "As in...Now?"

Puck smirked. "Yup." Pop. And bit into his sandwhich.

Rachel pushed away the packet of cold cuts and glanced around the counter, eager to change the conversation.

"Mom's going to be so mad at the mess you made...what _are _you eating!" Her face contorted with disgust as she watched her brother happily bite into a colossal sandwhich.

"It's a Puckaroni Breakfast Sandwich. Wanna bite?"

Rachel fiercely shook her head.

"Your loss midget"

"Pucka what?"

"Puckaroni! It has bacon, egg and cheese, some funny looking thing mom had in the fridge but it tastes good, um pepperoni, a little bit of salt and pepper, some maple syrup, sausage, onions tomatoes and green peppers all topped with Puck Sauce."

Rachel gagged. "What's 'Puck Sauce'?"

"A secret." Puck grinned and bit into his creation. He nudged Rachel's shoulder, eliciting a small smile to form on the tiny brunette. Her brother was always inventing something in the kitchen... using Santana and herself as his taste testers. She learned long ago, to steer clear away from a Noah invention.

"So..." Puck grabbed his glass of OJ and chugged it down, "Ahh thats good," He wiped his mouth and pressed on, "Can I ask you something?"

"Mhm" Rachel sipped her tea.

"Why have you been sleeping in moms room?"

Noah eyed his younger sister carefully, noting how she suddenly found the inside of her mug fascinating.

"Rach...are you having those nightmares again?"

Rachel put down her mug and looked her brother in the eye. There was something hidden behind them. What was it exactly? She couldn't tell but she didn't like seeing this look appear on his face...It reminded her of ...it reminded her too much of the past.

"Rach..."

Rachel slowly nodded her answer.

Noah put down his sandwich, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took a deep breath. He pressed both palms flat on the counter and exhaled.

"I know. I'm sorry Noah. It's dumb I know. I feel like such an infantile, immature, incompetent little child because I go running to moms room just because of a dream."

"Rachel."

"I promise I'll be stronger next time. I know it's not real and-"

"_Rachel!_" Puck interrupted his little sister mid rant. "Stop okay. Just...stop." Her eyes were so big and expressive. They had always been so big and expressive. He could always tell whatever she was feeling at any given moment because of her eyes. And right now...he wished her eyes weren't so dam expressive...because all they were expressing at the moment was pain.

"Rach...first of all you're not immature or incompetent." He stared into her big brown orbs, "Com-pren-day." And spoke in a horrible spanish accent as Rachel nodded, her eyes droopy and slanted. It reminded him of those dam little puppy dolls Santana loved so much as a kid...what were they called again? Hush Puppy? _ Ugly creepy sad looking little things_...

"Your the most mature person I know, Hell your more mature than me!" He placed his hands on his pecs, trying to get the point across. "And not to mention your strong! There's nothing weak about you. Those nightmares that you have...you don't have to go through them alone you know. It's good to talk about them Rachel. It's good to talk."

Rachel's eyes were droopy again as she nodded.

"It's not good to keep things bottled up inside...cuz then one day your bottles gonna get so full its just gonna explode...and you don't want that. I know _I _don't want that."

Her eyes were starting to get round again. _Good no more droopy. _

"Rach." Noah's tone of voice dropped. "You don't have to worry about Dad. He can't and he won't do anything."

"I know." Rachel spoke in a soft voice. " I know Noah. It's just...I don't..."

"And what could he possibly do all the way from New York? We're in Ohio...Lima Ohio. Far as fuc-... Far away from New York."

"Not really." Rachel mumbled.

"Yeah. It's far enough."

"It's _just-"_

"Dad screwed up! Like major big time-effing screwed up." Puck didn't realize he kept interrupting. "Wanna know what I think..I think he's just regretting everything. He wants us to feel sorry for him. He wants us to forgive him...and little does he know he's kinda eight years too late." He stood up from the stool, loudly scraping it back across the floor with a deep frown etched onto his face.

This is exactly what Rachel didn't want. She studied her brother's scowl and watched the way his muscles dangerously tensed up as he threw away his mess and dropped the plate into the sink.

"Noah...Please don't be mad."

Puck snapped his head over towards the expressive eyes.

_Dam hush puppies_

"I'm not mad Rach...not at you at least. Why would I be mad at you?" He stepped forward and leaned his elbows on the counter, his frown ever present.

"Because..."

"I promise I'm not mad at you munchkin. Just please...don't let Dad get to you. Please. And next time you have a nightmare come let me know. I'll make it go away okay?"

The tiny brunette nodded. She looked smaller somehow. Puck had to pull strength from deep within to keep his anger at bay and muster up a smile just for her. "Good." His eyes softened and he eased himself up off the marble countertop.

"Wanna know what else I think?" He grinned and waited for his sister to nod, "Nightmares shnightmares." Puck poked her in the side causing Rachel's body to spasm. Her mouth hung open in shock. He poked her again only this time on the left side and Rachel's body jerked in the opposite direction. "Noah!"

She was extremely ticklish and moments later Rachel was thrashing on the floor, howling with laughter as Puck tickled her sides.

"C'mon help me go wake mom up. She'd kill me If I left without saying bye." Puck didn't bother waiting for an answer as he effortlessly scooped his sister off the floor and swung her over his shoulder. "Plus now that our punishments officially over I can have my cell phone back."

The two siblings laughed as Puck made his way up the stairs. He held a firm grip around his sisters waist, careful not to drop her. Rachel was smiling and she swung out her arms, watching as her hair cascaded down away from her and towards the floor. The floor was suddenly positioned in a way where she had to look up at it...or down depending on...oh nevermind. She let out a deep belly laugh as Noah almost tripped over the carpet on the top landing and the two were barely breathing when they heard a loud grunt of a snore come out of Santana's room.

All thoughts of nightmares and absent fathers were completely gone.

Like Noah said...

_Nightmares Shnigthmares._

* * *

><p><em>AN: I officially **fail.** It's been forever and a day since the last update. It took a random cab ride in the city, an impromptu performance held in the back of a very pissed off cab driver's car who just so happened to pass by a restaurant by the name of Breadstix at the exact same time my friends and I were gleeking out singing along to Journey (which only caused us to gleek out some more) for me to come up with an update. Anyway. My mind did this running thing where it jumped from thoughts of glee to thoughts of Mark Salling then the stupid hiatus then back to Mark and then I remembered my story and realized It's as if I left the Corcoran's world on pause. I don't even know if anyone is reading this right now. But I am finally back and am determined to finish this for anyone who is willing to read._


	14. Chapter 14

** Remember that one fanfic author who kept promising to update but never did!? **

**Yeah.**

** Can't stand her either.**

* * *

><p>Brrrng.<p>

"Well aren't you going to answer it?" Shelby raised a perfectly trimmed brow as she peered over from behind the crinkly pages of the mornings paper.

Rachel's phone had been vibrating on and off all morning against the coffee table.

"Hmm?" The young brunette mumbled without prying her eyes away from her book.

The phone shook one more time and Shelby folded down a corner of the paper to glance over at her carbon copy. Her younger version was draped ever so eloquently across the couch, a tattered copy of Jane Austen in her hand, head propped up against pillowy cushions and feet resting conveniently across the older versions lap.

The pair had spent the better half of the last hour lounging in the den. Shelby was skimming through the reviews in the Theater section of the New York Times and Rachel was rereading one of her favorite classic pieces of literature. They looked so peaceful and picturesque it seemed as if nothing could ever disturb them.

"Mooom! Where are they?!"

Except of course for _that_.

They had been waiting on Santana to hurry up and finish getting dressed. Shelby had kept yelling out every few minutes in response to Santana's frantic cries about not being able to find her favorite pair of jeans. She stopped answering her daughter somewhere in between the last three cries. Her patience was running dangerously low. The buzzing phone was not helping either.

Brrrrng

"_Rachel!_"

"Huh" The younger girl didn't want to interrupt Mr. Darcy or her overactive imagination with a specific tall boy dressed as him. She painfully tore her eyes away from the worn pages and stared at the phone on the coffee table as if just waiting for it to bite.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrng

_Right on cue._

Sighing, Rachel closed her book, reluctantly letting go of all daydreams of poised handsome gentlemen and slowly shifted her body out of it's comfortable position from the couch. Any slower and Shelby swore she would be going backwards.

"It's probably just Kurt again." _  
><em>

"Oh yeah? Well are they having a good time then?"

"Well according to Kurt, Noah and Finn most certainly are."

Shelby peered over once more and furrowed her brows... waiting for an elaboration.

"When they got to the stadium to pick up their tickets, the box office manager guy ended up knowing Burt. Kurt said that Burt helped the man out when his truck broke down in the middle of a thunder storm last year and he remembered him so he gave them vip passes. As in meet and greets with the cheerleaders, club seats up in the VIP area and an all you can eat buffet at the skybox lounge."

"Oh my god!" Shelby squealed and smiled wide at the news, happy the boys were having such a good time, but that smile slowly began to falter. The experienced mother of three covered her mouth with her hand as her thoughts quickly ran ahead of her, "Oh god" She gripped her bottom lip in worry.

"What?"

It didn't take long for her mind to do the calculations. Teenaged boys and college football games was an equation capable of making any mother worry. But _Her _Teenaged boy. With an all access pass in the Ohio Stadium...

"Your brother better behave himself!" Shelby ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "Noah didn't mention anything about VIP passes. I told him to call me when they got there but of course he wrote me a quick text instead, 'Hi Mom. Here. Safe. Bye mom" The single mother of three sighed heavily and after some thinking, she decided to leave all thoughts of her sons alleged behavior in the hands of fate.

And Burt Hummel.

_Bless Burt Hummel_

Rachel giggled as she turned away from her moms worried expression and clicked open the umpteenth text sent from Kurt that morning. "Mom, Noah will be just fine. You don't have to worry."

"Oh sweetheart. This mother always worries." Shelby pointed at her chest and folded the paper, "But your right, your right. He'll behave...besides Burt will keep the boys in check." Shelby stated in self assurance. God knew her son needed a good male role model in his life. She was so grateful he had Burt. She glanced down at her watch again, "Anyway, if Santana's not down here in five minutes I'm-"

"I'll go get her" Rachel pushed herself off the couch and made her way upstairs, quickly firing back a text to Kurt in response.

"Five minutes!"

"Gotcha!" Rachel made her way over to the staircase just as she finished typing out the last word. She closed her phone, slid it into her pocket and began wondering what on earth was taking her sister so long.

Santana had awoken unusually early and slowly shuffled herself into their mothers room not long after Noah left. It was a nice change...to relax in the morning instead of everyone rushing to go off and be in different places. It was Rachel who suggested they go and have a girls day and Santana who went ahead and booked appointments for all three at the nail salon. Rachel knew for a fact her sister had laid out her outfit...she saw it sprawled across her bed as she walked by earlier... favorite pair of jeans matched with her new blouse. So why was Santana saying she couldn't find them?

She reached the top of the stairs and quietly made her way over to Sans bedroom. Not bothering to knock, she wrapped her fingers around the door knob twisted it open and rushed inside.

"Hey San Mom said if your not down in five minutes then she-"

"Rachel!"

There was a shuffling of sorts as the fully dressed and ready to go older brunette jumped up and slammed her fingers down on the keys of her laptop. She blew a loose strand of hair away from her face, ripped her hazy gaze away from the screen and shot daggers at the intruder.

"Can't you_ knock_!?"

Rachel stumbled as she took a step back and watched as a deep red tinge crept its way across her sisters cheeks.

"S-Sorry..i-it's just that mom's waiting and-"

"_Fine_. I said I was coming."

Santana gave Rachel a once over and recognized that look, knowing all to well just exactly what it meant. She sighed feeling badly, "I didn't mean to snap at you okay? Its just... knock next time alright?" The older brunette swiveled her chair back towards her laptop. She took another heaving sigh and her furrowed brows softened upon glancing at her Mac.

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later ?"

The voice of another person penetrated Rachel's ears.

"Yeah I'll text you but you have to be nice Santana. Lord Tubbington will let me know if your not...and so will Little S."

_Brittany?_

Rachel leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. Brittany was laying across her bed smiling and waving, her rather large cat lying next to her.

"Right Little S? Remember San...be nice." She scolded in the same tone adults use when talking with misbehaved toddlers.

"Yeah yeah."

"Bye Brittany" Rachel waved as the blonde blew a kiss and the video chat ended. Santana snapped her laptop shut and Rachel wanted to know why she was acting all fidgety. It's not like she walked in on her talking with a boy or anything. It was only Brittany.

"Okay move it munchkin. Vamonos!" The older brunette snapped her fingers and stood up . She did one last mirror check and caught Rachel staring quizzicaly back at her. She hated that look...her little sister was really smart, sometimes too smart for her own good and that look meant she was analyzing things in her 'Rachel' way. Santana hated being analyzed, it made her feel exposed.

"What!"

"Brittany said you have to be nice to me."

"Oh please! Like I care about anything Brittany said. Psht. Hurry up midget because your taking too dam long."

The younger brunnete gasped, "_Me?_! Your the one who took ten years looking for a very questionable pair of jeans."

"Say what about my jeans!? These are the hottest jeans ever...I mean hello look at the way they make my butt look." Santana smirked as she checked out her assets in the mirror.

"What butt?" Rachel mumbled, slowly backing out of the room.

The smirking brunette whipped around to face her, "_Excuse_ me?"

"Remember San. Be Nice. Lord Tubnington will find out." Rachel giggled and spun on her heel before rushing out of the room.

"You little sh.. " Santana growled, did one last quick mirror check, "I so too have a butt!" and tore off after her.

"Mooom!" Rachel ran right into Shelbys arms laughing uncontrollably, "Help!"

"Well is she coming or staying because I'm leaving."Shelby untangled herself from her youngest daughter and heard a pounding set of footsteps race down the stairs.

Rachel squealed and dodged as Santana lunged at her.

"Girls! "

"Your mine midget!"

Rachel flew out the front door, snatching the car keys and glancing back once with a giant smile plastered on her face.

Santana sprinted after her and Shelby was left standing in the foyer, arms raised in the air, wondering how she became the last one to leave the house.

"Girls!?"

"Hurry up ma or we're gonna be late!"

* * *

><p>"Ladies ladies please no fighting. There's enough of the Puckasaurus to go around." Noah Corcoran smirked as giggles erupted around him. He was having the most amazing day ever. The tailgating had been epic. There were so many girls and so much stuff to do. He already had seven new numbers stored in his phone and to top it all off Burt managed to make the day even better by getting them all upgraded seats when they went to collect their regular tickets. VIP passes and everything. It was refreshing to get away from the house, especially after two weeks of punishment. Noah loved his mom and all, and despite him constantly saying how much his sisters annoy him, he loved those two as well but it felt real dam good to just slip away from them for the day.<p>

No sisters. No mom. No distractions. Only football, girls and

"Hey man we kinda have to get back to the box seeing as the games about to start and everything."

Puck slowly rolled his eyes away from the group of girls and jabbed his elbow into his best friend, " C'mon Finn your supposed to be my _wingman_ not my buzzkill." He frowned and quickly brought his attention back to the mature college girls as the one standing closest to him asked a question with a southern drawl.

"Ya'll have your own box!?"

His signature smirk slid into place, "Huh? Who us? Yeah its no big deal really." He tried to brush off any importance. "Why? Would you ladies be interested in checking out my box?"

" _Our_ box." Finn pointed his finger between the two and Puck made a face, " Woah chill with the _our_ stuff dude No homo."

The girl with the southern accent spoke up again, "I mean if you even really have one...You know a box that is...How big is it exactly?"

Puck took a step back and gasped for an added effect, " It's huge. Do you think we'd lie to you!?

"Yeah if we were lying then we wouldnt have these," Finn flashed the vip tickets and saw the girls eyes twinkle.

"Oh my gosh what are ya'll waiting for then? Give us a tour!" Giggles. Flip of the hair here, bat of an eyelash there and next thing Puck knew, he was leading the way through the stadium with the hottest girl of the group squeezing his arm and pressing herself up against him.

They were almost at the skybox section, Puck could see the grumpy old ticket man from before. He led the way and walked right for the door not bothering to stop and get scanned because surely the guy remembered him.

"Ahem. This is for club members only. "

"Yeah we were here earlier. You saw me and my friend here leave."

"Club members only." The man said in a monotonous tone.

Finn began fumbling around beside him jamming his fists inside his pockets.

Puck sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the next. "Dude show this guy the dam tickets."

Finn turned his pockets inside out.

"Finn?"

"I just had them hold on." Finn's face flushed red.

"Step aside please fella's. Club members only."

"But I was just in here! You saw me earlier old man I know you did!"

"You want me to call security?" The ticket man stood up taller.

"Go ahead call them!" Puck squared his shoulders, sizing the man up.

"Um we gotta go." The girl slid her arm away from the visibly angry teen and grimaced.

"But we have a box. Finn call your dad or Kurt." Puck growled and shot his eyes around looking for the girls.

"Ladies. Wait! Party at my dorm later remember!" Puck yelled back staring longingly at the group of college girls as they disappeared into the crowd.

He didn't notice a person slide up right next to him.

"These guys are with me Phil." He shot around when he heard that smoky voice and his eyes grew wide.

"Are you sure Miss? You know these young troublemakers?"

"Trouble mak-" Puck growled and shot daggers at the old man.

"Yes. I'm sure. I know these two very well. Unfortunately."

The two in question frowned and sputtered.

"Okay Miss. If you say so."

Phil the Ticket man let all three walk in without scanning a single ticket. Puck and Finn followed behind their savior who wore a pleased grin on her face. She led them a safe distance away from Phil before she whipped around and cleared her throat.

"Ahem. Party at your dorm later!?" She raised an eyebrow and stared quizzically at Puck.

He took a moment to compose himself and let his lip curl up into a devilish smirk.

"So it's like that huh Fabray?"

"You two can thank me later." The satisfied blonde flipped her hair.

"That was pretty awesome Quinn thanks." Finn smiled and Puck nodded in approval.

"Hold up first of all what are you even doing here? And second what's that idiot's deal? I feel like going back over there and putting him in his place."

"Phil can be... difficult at times...but once you get to know him he's not so bad.

"He's a douche."

"He's the douche? Really? This coming from the guy with the dorm party later? Who were those skanks anyway."

Puck's laughed boomed, "Ha Your just jealous."

"As if Corcoran. Exactly what is there to be jealous of." Quinn lashed out as a single brow shot up.

"They were total babes. What can I say I got game. So how come that douche just let you walk in here? And you still didn't answer me. What exactly are you doing here?"

The trio had begun walking around the Clubhouse section of the stadium, Quinn in the lead with the two boys trailing after her. Puck couldn't help but admire the way her hips swayed as she walked and her hair bounced. He was so used to seeing her wear that tiny red uniform for once he was actually glad she wasn't wearing it. He liked seeing her dress different. It was kind of weird because she was always dressed in that red uniform or workout gear and he wasn't complaining because honestly thank the Cheerio gods for making them wear that but it was definitely nice to see her dressed in jeans and a Buckeye Jersey. Not to mention her hair down in wavy locks instead of being pulled up into that Cheerio pony.

"Well?"

"Corn dogs! Yes! You guys want some corn dogs?!" Quinn was about to answer the question but she was interrupted by Finn's loud yell and she laughed. So did Puck. So did Finn but only because he thought the other two were laughing with him.

The blonde made a face of disgust "No thanks."

"You sure? Well I'm gonna go get one be right back." Finn made his way over towards the long line of people waiting for what Quinn thought was a heart-attack on a stick.

"So," Puck brought her attention back to him, "As you were saying."

"Oh yeah, well my dad owns a skybox here."

"And you never invited us because?"

"Like I would ever want to invite you?" She quipped and leaned back against a railing.

"Ouch." Puck winced.

"Besides it's more of a family thing. My dad's all gung-ho on family outings to the games because it's the 'Fabray Way' She said the last part mocking her father's voice, " "Um I think I invited your sister actually a couple times last year but she never woke up early enough to come."

Puck leaned against the wall beside her. That was news to his ears. San never mentioned anything to him. Then again San would never wake up early on a Saturday for football. Quinn's brows knit together suddenly and Puck let her continue.

"Anyway my dad's running for State Senator. We're proud supporters of Ohio State football. Go buckeyes" She pumped her fist Cheerio style, flashing a shiny tight smile. But Puck didn't know who she thought she was fooling.

"Right. So I'm guessing you'll be coming here for college?"

"No way" She let out a forced laugh, "No...my parents want me to go to Yale."

There it was. Puck could see that mask she wore so well.

"Yeah it's Ivy all the way. My Dad went to Yale. As did my older sister Frannie."

"Hmm interesting."

Quinn hated whenever anyone gave such a vague response, it meant they weren't really paying attention and there mind was entirely consumed someplace else. Noah's answer clearly confirmed that. What she wasn't expecting however was for the next few words to tumble effortlessly from his mouth.

"But what about you?"

The question startled Quinn. She found Puck's eyes and was surprised to see genuine interest hanging behind them.

"What?"

"Where do you want to go?" He repeated and could practically see her mind turning the question over, examing it as if hearing those words directed towards her for the first time.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Um well I guess..I.."

"Oh Quinnie!"

The two teens turned their heads at the sudden high pitched voice and Puck watched as an older blonde woman dressed in red made her way over, pulling Finn alongside her by the arm and flagging her daughter down.

"Look who I ran into!"

Judy Fabray beamed as she approached the two teens. Finn finished stuffing his face with the corn dog and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as he tossed the wooden stick in the trash.

Quinn forced a smile at her mother and answered tight lipped, "Mom. I know I bumped into them outside."

Judy began laughing giddily, squeezing her red manicured hand around Pucks arm. An eruption of voices boomed from across the lounge, all sounding obnoxiously pompous. A group of men all dressed in sports jackets were shaking hands and Puck recognized the loudest of the group as Russell Fabray. He gave a 1,000 watt smile when he spotted his wife and daughter and excused himself from his friends.

Quinn mentally face palmed.

"There are my girls!" Russell strode over in his expensive sports coat, shiny black shoes and slicked back hair. He wore a red ball cap, the only thing on him that showed his alliance towards the football team.

"Yes daddy we're coming" Quinn rushed out suddenly anxious to leave.

"Wait Russ come here. You remember Finn Hudson, Carole and Christopher's son."

Russell Fabray eyed the two boys and nodded in approval upon hearing Finn's last name.

"He goes to our church and is on the football team at Quinnie's school." Judy gushed and jumped to squeeze her husbands arm. Russell eyed Finn and put two and two together. "Yes of course. I know your mother from church she sits on the right side usually the pews up in front?"

Finn bobbed his head up and down.

"And I remember your father. He was a good man. Good man died an honorable death."

Quinn eyed her father curiously. He was beaming at Finn, surveying him as if he were a shiny new consolation prize.

"And you go to school with my daughter?"

"Yes. He's a year older than Quinnie I believe." Judy smiled and Puck could've sworn he caught a whiff of alcohol.

Russell turned upon hearing his daughter's name and took notice of the boy standing beside her.

"And this is?"

Puck stuck out his hand ready to introduce himself when Quinn beat him to it.

"This is Noah. He goes to McKinley too."

Russell nodded in approval as he shook Puck's hand and Quinn held her breath as he eyed the teenaged boy, "Noah...strong name. You look familiar. Do I know your parents?"

"Uh well actually-"

"Doubt it daddy he's from New York but we should really get going the games about to start." Quinn cut Puck off and he sliced his eyes at the blonde.

_The fuc-_

Quinn fidgeted under his icy glare averting all eye contact.

"New York huh?" Russell cleared his throat and was interrupted by someone shouting his name. He turned towards the boys, unaware of the awkward tension that had fallen over the group, "Well it was nice meeting you boys," he nodded in their direction and pumped his fist, "Go Buckeyes!"

"It was nice seeing you Finn!" Judy smiled and waved warmly at Finn. "You too Noel" She threw in an extra wave for Puck. "Quinnie!" Her mother's voice tore the young blonde's attention away from Puck.

"Um I gotta go. I'll see you two around?" Quinn didn't wait for a response and quickly rushed to catch up to her parents. Her father placed a hand on her back and greeted more of his colleagues. She chanced one quick glance back before Russell ushered his girls down the hall, leaving the two boys behind. Puck squinted his eyes. His mind spinning a million miles.

"The hell was that?"

"What?"

"_That_! Why did she...That was fucking weird."

"It was wasn't it? What about her mom though? Milf?"

"She called me_ Noel_."

Puck figured that answered enough. He shook his head in disbelief and tried to shrug off that nagging feeling.

_Screw Quinn Fabray_

"Boys!" Puck was brought out of his trance when he heard the familiar warm voice. Burt Hummel stood in front of them, dressed in worn out jeans, an old buckeye tee and a Hummel's Auto Shop hat on his head. "Where have you two been!? The games about to start!"

The four of them made there way over towards their seats and quickly filled Kurt and Burt in on their small encounter.

"Ah don't worry about it guys. Fabrays will always be Fabrays. Forget about them. Alright? Hey! These are some seats though eh!? Right?! Fweooo," Burt whistled and couldn't keep the boyish grin off his face.

"This is awesome!"

"Yeah thanks again Burt."

"Fabulous seats Dad"

"Anytime boys! Anytime! It doesn't get better than this let me tell ya! There's nothing like a good ol' fashion game of football."

"Amen to that!"

"Boys, in life there are three F's I like to call the fundamental elements of living. Number one is Family. Always remember that alright? Family. Number two is Friends. You can never have too many of those around. Wait I take that back...you can but Im talkin about real friends...you gotta treat the real ones like gold. And number three is Football. No explanation needed there." Burt glanced back and forth between the three teens before him and ticked off his fingers, "Family. Friends and Football. The fundamentals of life."

"Only three?" Puck smirked and spoke out of the side of his mouth so only Finn could hear.

"What was that?"

"Nothin! I said thats very true." Puck admired Burt Hummel. He was a hard working man, kind and honest. He was there for his family, especially his son. Hell he was even nice enough to include him and Finn in everything. He didn't have to. He knew exactly what Burt was doing and he knew it wasn't just out of charity either. That's one thing he couldn't stand. He couldn't stand people pitying him. But Burt was different. He really did care about him and Finn. He could remember a time when his dad was like that. He used to take him to see the Rangers hockey games at Madison Square Garden.

But that was a long time ago.

Things change.

People change.

"Finn you got the drinks I gave you? Good. Kurt this ones yours. My old man let me have my first brewsky at an OSU game when I was around your age so I thought I'd keep up with the tradition."

Kurt forced a smile and took the frothy drink, already feeling nauseous just holding it, "Dad won't we get in trouble? We're underage?"

"Nah! It's just one beer. Only _one_. Besides we're men!" He slapped his palm across his sons back and patted his shoulder. "Alright!? Now come on it's game time! Cheers boys! Let's go Buckeyes!" Burt raised his cup and Kurt had never seen his father happier. They all clanked there drinks together and took a swig...Puck drinking a little more than the rest.

"Just don't mention the beer to your mothers"

"You don't have to worry about that one." Puck laughed and averted his eyes back to the field when a roar erupted from the crowded stadium.

The ref blew the whistle, signaling the kick off and the Hummels, Corcoran and Hudson men all joined the roaring crowd.

Puck was in the middle of yelling at a bad call from the ref when he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, "Speaking of mothers..."

* * *

><p>"Okay honey. I love you. Be careful. Bye" Shelby snapped her phone shut, a satisfied look playing on her face and she felt the need to explain herself to the lady currently scrubbing her feet.<p>

"My son. He's at a football game."

The lady just nodded and smiled before turning towards the young girl next to her scrubbing on Rachel's feet and the two began talking in their native tongue.

Santana leaned forward to get a better look at her mother, "So what did he say?"

"He's fine. He said he was having a great time, he'll call later when they're on their way home. Oh and he mentioned something about running into Quinn?"

"_Quinn_?!"

"Quinn."

_Weird _San thought as she pulled out her phone.

"I told you he'd be fine mom." Rachel pitched in and picked up the tiny bottle of nail polish, "Hey San?

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure this color is okay?" Rachel asked gently.

"Yes. For the tenth time Rach that color is really pretty but if you don't like it then change it."

"Mom what do you think?"

"I think it's nice sweetheart. Keep it. It's perfect for fall."

"Okay" Rachel mumbled and handed the color over to the lady.

"Why are you so indecisive?" Santana thought aloud as she admired her own nail color. It was one of her all time favorites, _Wicked _by _Essie. _

Rachel bit her bottom lip and Shelby took the liberty of answering for her, "It's because there's so many options right baby"

Santana turned a glossy page of the magazine, not bothering to look up, "Why do you always baby her Mom!? Keep babying her and she's just gonna keep on sleeping in your room."

Rachel frowned and turned angrily in the massage chair, "I'm not babied! And I have a perfectly good reason to be sleeping with mom that doesn't concern you."

"Girls!" Shelby leaned forward to get a good look at both of her daughters, only briefly glancing at the three ladies currently working on their pedicures, still talking in their native tongues. "Now I don't know what has gotten into you two? But this ends now. I mean it!"

Her oldest scoffed and her youngest hmphed.

"I don't like the way you two just spoke to each other and I certaintly don't want you two arguing tonight over dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yes dinner. Will is coming over tonight."

Santana groaned and slapped a hand over her forehead.

"Why must you insist on torturing me?!"

"He's not bad San and you know it. I don't know why you insist you don't like him?"

"Is that a serious question?"

"What time is he coming over for dinner Mom?" Rachel ignored her sister's comments and tried showing support for her mom.

"Seven."

"Your ordering in right? The man's allergic to shellfish. I say we order seafood." Santana quipped.

Shelby glared.

"As a matter of fact we are cooking."

"We?"

"Yes we. As in you, your sister and I. Rach will be in charge of the appetizer, a salad. I'll do the main course, a pasta dish and you my darling daughter will be in charge of dessert. I'll even let you pick. It's going to be fun."

Shelby beamed and settled back into her chair. She closed her eyes and smiled. Dinner was going to be... interesting at the very least.

This was a very big step for all of them.

She only hoped her kids would be on their best behavior.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Ending here so I can post the next part sooner rather later. I just really want to complete this story. _  
><em>Enjoy? xo<em>


	15. Chapter 15

**Its been 84 years...**

* * *

><p>Santana slithered away from the kitchen and stealthily made her way back to her room, putting as much distance as humanly possible between herself and the sickening situation that was currently transpiring in the dining room.<p>

She could hear Schue's maniacal laugh and the light clink of glasses touching each other.

Dinner had been _amusing _to say the least. Her mom had been excited. Rachel was being Rachel. Puck was just hungry and still buzzing from the Ohio State game. William was being lame. The adults spent the entire first part reminiscing about their old, glory high school days. It was like a Nick at Night family sitcom on crack.

This whole 'rekindling their friendship deal', maybe moving onto something more, didn't sit well with the older brunette.

As she pounded up the stairs she heard Rachel's soft tone, her mothers obnoxious cackle and Noah's low rumbling boom. It's not that she hated Schue either. He just annoyed her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but seeing his face, that smile, the hair! The pounds of gel and hairspray that that man must use everyday _alone,_ single-handedly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer one freaking little fro curl at a time. He put way too much effort in appearance.

Yeah she couldn't ignore the fact that her mom did seem happy...but she just didn't get it. _Clearly_ they were on the opposite sides of the fence here.

Clearly.

Whatever.

She had excused herself from the dinner table after that last lame joke Schue snorted in between dessert and reached her room in record time.

The second her bedroom door closed, Santana dove for the bed and plopped onto her stomach, quickly pulling out her phone, desperate fingers flying over the screen.

The response was almost instantaneous. The warm feeling that settled inside her belly caused her to grin even wider as the chime of her phone alerted her to the incoming message. The name flashing in front of her screen.

_**So how did it go?**!_

**Fanfuckingtastic**

The little conversation bubbles kept spasming.

_**That bad?**_

**Schuester was sharing air in front of me...**

_**He shared his air?**_

**It was horrible**

_**But sharing is caring**_

**No...**

_**So he was nice?**_

**NVM**

**I don't wanna talk about Schue anyway.**

_**...**_

**_OK. ur bro looked like he had fun today. Everybody was at that game. Quinn went 2_**

**Yeah she was there with her fam. They ran into her. **

**_I wanna go 2 next time_**

**Def. So w****hat r you doing?**

**_Texting you. :) _**

**_And I was thinking bout what u said earlier. _**

**_Can't stop thinking bout it actually_**

**_..._**

Her heart began pounding, she could feel it in her ears, she could hear it way too loud, hammering away like an incessant knock.

The actual knock on the door made Santana jump and she inwardly groaned as she clicked her phone off and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Yeah?"

The door creaked open and Puck poked his head in, a mischievous grin resting on his face.

"_What!_?"

"Claws away Satan. It's just me." He closed the door shut behind him and strolled into the room,"Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing." Santana snapped.

"So? What did you think?" The grin never left his face.

"What do you mean, what did I think? About what?!" She had honestly completely forgotten about the dinner, the panicky sensation that settled just inside her chest moments before had erased all coherent thoughts, rendering her utterly clueless to what her annoying brother was asking.

"Dam San, come on. What's up with you?" Puck pushed the pile of clothes off Santana's swivel chair and spun around to face his sister, "Why are you so mad? Is it really that bad seeing mom happy?"

Realization hit the brunette in the face.

_Oh that!_

She really didn't want to be having this conversation right now, let alone _any. _There were more pressing matters she had to deal with. But the way Noah was looking at her, boring his eyes into hers, searching her face, digging. She knew he wouldn't stop until she spoke and gave him what he was looking for.

"He irritates me." She whipped out a quick answer as she sat up and crossed her legs, stealthily flipping over her phone to peek at the screen, the little bubbles taunting her, "I know mom's happy. There's something about him. I can't explain it. But it's just...arghh you know?!"

Her phone buzzed and it took everything in her to resist answering back. She felt her brother bore his eyes into the electronic device that was burning a hole in her hand, but she played it off.

"You mean his hair?" Puck picked up one of the perfume bottles off her vanity and took a giant whiff, scrunching his face in disgust.

"The hair." Santana placed her phone underneath her leg and began ticking off her fingers, "The face. The voice. He's too nice."

"Too nice!?" Puck burst out laughing.

The brunette watched as he picked up another glass bottle and uncapped it. "This smells like Grandma Silvie."

"Well maybe because she bought that one for me genius."

Puck hissed, mimicking Santana's attitude.

She actually laughed, "Catty looks good on you Noella."

"Oh stop" Puck waved his hand in a feminine way, glad to see some of the steam roll off of his sister as he made her crack a smile.

"You have really nice nails."

"Okay, you don't have to take it that far." Puck lowered his hand and flexed his muscles for good measure.

"No," Santana snickered, "Like, for real. The cuticle part. If only you'd stop chewing on them-"

"Chill with the culito shit."

"_Cuticle. _You totally should have gone with us to get manis instead."

"And miss out on all the college babes?! _Psht_ funny."

"Hey, you never finished telling me what happened at the stadium earlier." The brunette pulled her hair up and tied it in a messy bun.

Puck's brows knit together and he swiveled away from the glass bottles, "How well do you know Quinns dad?"

"Russell?" The brunette leaned back and relaxed on her elbows. "Well first of all, I don't even think he knows my name and I'm one of his daughters best friend. That should tell you a lot right there."

Puck snorted.

"I mean, I don't really know him. He's never around actually. Whenever I'm over there, he's always either away on business or in the middle of some phone call or something in his office. _Judy_ on the other hand. That's a whole other story. Why?"

"Does he have a problem with you? Russell I mean?" Noah leaned forward, all defensive.

Santana frowned and tilted her head to the side, "Not that I know of. Like I said he doesn't really know me..._why_?" She observed her brother carefully and squinted her eyes as he relaxed his tense shoulders and bit the inside of his cheek.

"Your little friend, Quinn-"

Knock knock.

"What are we doing!?" Rachel poked her head inside the room.

The two glanced at the door. Santana took this brief interruption to stealthily check her texts and felt her stomach bottom out when she saw two giant paragraphs displayed on the screen.

"_WE_ aren't doing anything. _I'm_ talking with San. _You're_ interrupting midget."

"Ha ha very funny." Rachel stuck out her chin, marched into the room and threw herself across the older girls bed. She rolled onto her back, tucked her arms behind her head and glanced back and forth between her siblings.

"Schue's really nice isn't he?"

Puck shook his head and grinned, "Brace yourself midge."

Santana grabbed her pillow and smashed it over Rachel.

"You wanna hit her or should I?" Santana ducked out of the way of Rachel's flailing arms, poking the smaller girl in the sides.

"Stop! No tickling please!" Rachel had managed to squirm her way half off the bed.

"Leave her alone San," Puck laughed, "For the record, I'm with you on this one, Rach. I don't think he's bad at all."

"Alright that's it. The both of you. OUT!" Santana jammed her finger in the direction of her door.

"Why?!" Rachel flipped onto the floor and sat right in the middle of the room, between the swivel chair and the big red bed.

"Apparently Schue's 'too nice'" Puck burped extra loud and rubbed his stomach, leaning all the way back in the chair.

"That's disgusting. No passing gas in my room."

He added an extra burp just for that.

"Santana you can't be serious? Too nice?" Rachel chose to ignore the belching, "Is that even possible? How can someone be too nice?!"

"I can't deal with someone like that. See, you two could. That's why, _you two,_ are the way you are."

Rachel frowned, "What's that supposed to mean? How am I?"

"That's why _you're_ the way _you_ are!" Puck laughed and Santana shook her head in defiance, ready to defend her claim.

"He's too nice. No one is that nice. It's irritating. Either he's hiding something or he needs to grow a pair."

"Santana, are you telling me then, that you wouldn't want to be with someone romantically _if_ they are too nice?" Rachel squinted her eyes, desperately trying to crack the code that unlocked her older sisters brain.

"Yeah, you want a guy whose an asshole?" Puck leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Noah, no. Don't get any ideas! Women want someone respectable, not an a-hole. Remember you have two sisters and a mother." Rachel scolded.

"_I'm saying_," Santana moved her hands around, animatedly explaining, "I wouldn't want someone who always acted nice. There is no such thing. That's just fake. It's bullshit."

"No swearing" Rachel mumbled and the older two completely ignored her and kept talking.

"Nice isn't real. Nice isn't genuine. I want someone real."

"So you'd prefer Mom go out with someone who isn't 'nice'? Someone who doesn't ask about her day or shows even an ounce of interest in her kids?"

"Someone like dad?" Both girls whipped their heads around to face their brother.

"That's not what I'm saying," Santana growled.

"Girls are so dam confusing."

"I don't think I completely agree with you on this one Santana." The youngest in the room shook her head and folded her legs.

"Yeah well what are you, like twelve?" Santana rolled her eyes.

Rachel's mouth hung open and she gasped rather dramatically, "I'm fourteen! About to turn fifteen thank you very much."

Santana smirked and sat up straighter, "Anyway, my mexican third eye is never wrong. Its just... Its hard to explain."

"Santana...we aren't even Mexican." Rachel turned to Noah, looking for approval and pounded her fist into his outstretched one, causing the brunette on the bed to roll her eyes even further and scowl in their direction.

"Can your mexican third eye explain this?" Puck raised a leg and the sound that came out of his body, accompanied by the smell, sent Rachel running from the room.

"NOAH! THAT'S REPULSIVE!"

"Eww!"

Santana leapt off her bed, palms outstretched, arms ready to swing, as Puck roared with laughter.

"Alright, alright im leaving." He ducked, barely missing the slap to his shoulder, "You can go back to texting your boyfriend now." He managed to close the door before the pillow assaulted him. He almost missed the red tint that stained his sisters cheeks as she yelled out, "I don't have a boyfriend!"

Santana stood in the middle of the room, heart pounding, mind completely overtaken by the unread texts, when the door opened to just a slit, "Tell Jew Fro im looking forward to officially welcoming him into the family."

"Fucking nasty! Don't insult me like that Noella."

The door closed and she pulled the phone close to her chest, ready to read the messages, when the door opened once more.

"I'll find out who it is and if it's anyone from the hockey team I swear I'll-"

"Close my door NOAH!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Is there anyone alive out there!?**


	16. Chapter 16

"White and gold."

"_Blue and black_."

"White and gold!"

The yells were getting louder.

"Arghhh!" Santana's voice slashed out, "Blue and black!"

"How do you see black and blue?! _Where_ is there black and blue?!" Puck did a cross between a laugh and a bark.

"RIGHT HERE! CONGRATULATIONS DUMB ASS,"Santana boomed, "It only took you 17 years to discover you're COLOR BLIND!"

Rachel cautiously approached the kitchen, her footsteps slowing to an abnormal pace as she heard the escalating voices spewing fire at each other.

"It's white and gold but if you insist on seeing black and blue I can make that happen with my fis-"

"Good morning!"

The two eldest were standing on either side of the kitchen island, both had their palms pressed onto the marble countertop, arms flexing with eyes shooting daggers. The second Rachel announced her presence, Puck and Santana whipped their heads in her direction.

Rachel recoiled and jumped, "I can just go back upsta-"

"RACHEL!"

"WHAT DO YOU SEE?!"

They flung their phones at her, arms outstretched, eyes looking every bit crazed.

"Um a d-dress?"

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Santana smacked her palm into her thigh and rolled her eyes for good measure.

"Midge what color is the dress?" Noah waited with baited breath, flashing the image in front of Rachel.

_They're arguing over a photo? _

She darted her eyes back and forth between the two, "Is this a trick question?"

"WHAT DO YOU SEE!?"

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with all the shouting?" Shelby's heels clacked against the floor as she waltzed into the kitchen.

"Ma!" Puck placed his mother's favorite travel mug into her left hand, the morning paper into her right and waved a toasted bagel in front of her face.

Shelby took the bait, took a bite and scrunched her brows, "Wha-_psh_! Noah_..t_hank you but wha-"

"What colors do you see?!" He held up his phone.

"White and gold," Shelby answered, without pause, as she placed the travel mug down on the counter, opened her designer bag and began loading all of her daily essentials inside.

"HAAA Told you Satan! In your face!"

Santana began turning different shades of red. She was using every ounce of strength she had to keep from leaping mid air and tackling her brother to the ground.

"Rachel never told us what she saw."

"Am I supposed to see something different? It's a dress, albeit not a very pretty one, a-at least not one to my liking. But, it's an okay white and gold dress if you prefer that style I suppose?"

Santana growled and balled her hands into fists, "You're all blind." She angrily tore her Cheerio jacket off the chair and threw her arms into the sleeves. "It's blue and black."

"What?!" Rachel and Shelby poured over the image once more and Shelby shot her eldest daughter a worried glance.

"San, honey, where do you see that?" Shelby sounded concerned.

Rachel furrowed her brows, "Santana? How do you see blue and black?" Puck folded his arms in smug contempt and flashed his sister a shit eating grin.

Santana couldn't hold back. She needed that satisfying feeling, like the one you get when you finally scratch an itch you just can't reach. So she shoved Puck with her shoulder and dug her elbow into his side, _hard_. He was too muscular for his own good. And she was sure a bruise would form on her own shoulder later on, but that was besides the point. The scowling teen zipped up the front of her jacket, parted her pony tail with a precise, perfected tug and angrily snatched the keys off the table. "I'll be waiting in the car. I suggest all you color deficient individuals relearn your ROY G BIV."

Rachel could name all of her colors on the color wheel. Primary, secondary and tertiary. Everyone knew that.

"Who the hells Roy?" Puck mocked as Santana huffed.

"If that's too hard for you Noah, maybe you can start with ABC's and work your up to 123's." Santana pivoted on her heel and stormed off.

"San..._Santana_...San-tan-a!" Shelby sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose when she heard the front door slam shut.

_She did not just walk away from me as I was talking. _

"That child is troubled."

Both Shelby and Rachel turned to see Noah shaking his head in disbelief.

"_Cut it out_!" Shelby lightly slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand.

"What did I do!?"

"I'll show you a child in trouble Noah. Wipe that grin off your face." Shelby grabbed her things and glanced around the house, "Rach, baby, you're textbook."

"I don't need it for today."

"And don't think for a second I forgot about your tutoring sessions today, young man. Shannon emailed the updated schedule this morning. "

Puck groaned as he shouldered his book bag and walked deflated in defeat out of the house, leaving just Rachel and Shelby.

"Got everything?"

"Mmhm"

Shelby turned off the lights and ushered her youngest outside.

"She doesn't really see black and blue does she?"

* * *

><p>Morning practice had run smoothly. Well, if you overlook the small incident that occured between the two leading vocalists. Things got a little hairy when the two began battling it out for the top opening spot in the upcoming sectional's performance. Sectional's was a little over a month away, but competition was healthy.<p>

Shelby encouraged it.

There was nothing wrong with laying it all out on the line and giving it your all.

It's that mentality that drove her to Broadway.

"Bye Coach, I'll see you after school?"

Shelby barely glanced up as she waved dismissively towards her last student. The heavy doors of the auditorium echoed shut behind them. And then.

Silence.

She welcomed it.

She drank it in. It was one of her favorite moments throughout the day. Being able to just sit, out in the middle of the dark auditorium, and stare back at that empty stage, bathed in soft light.

_The stage_.

It always beckoned her.

Her phone buzzed, illuminating in her lap, stealing her thoughts and eyes away from the lights and she quickly glanced down and let a smile break out over her face. She clicked open the call and brought the phone up to her ear, "Finally! I've been wondering when you were going to get back to me." The mother of three leaned back into the plush seat and lifted her strapped heels up to rest on the back of the seat in front of her.

"Shelly!" The nickname elicited a child-like smile. She loosened the tight bun she wore, and let her hair cascade down her shoulders.

"_Ramen!" _She laughed into the phone and she heard a deep, gruffier voice in the background. "Hey Shelb's!"

"Hey Roy!"

Her brother's husband was bidding him goodbye and a muffled call was heard, directed towards her, "I gotta run, gonna drop off this little princess at school. So, I'll talk to you later Shelb's!"

"Bye!"

"Hi Hi Aunt Shelly. Bye Bye Aunt Shelly!"

Shelby blew a kiss into the phone as she heard the high pitched voice, "Bye sweetheart! Oh how I've missed her!"

"Well hello dear sister of mine what are you up to on this fine morning."

"Hey Ram!" She said warmly, "Welcome back to the States! I want to hear all about your trip!"

"Oh _God_ it was incredible! But wait, wait, wait, the trip can wait. Tell me what I've missed since I've been gone."

Shelby scoffed, "Where do I begin?"

"'_Let's start at the very beginning_', " Hiram sang into her ear and she added in perfect tune, " _A very good place to start_."

"Good idea, how's V.A.?!"

"They just left my auditorium. Practice got a little intense, but-"

"You love it that way"

"You know me so well," Shelby chuckled and wrapped a strand of her hair around her finger.

"What about the kids? How are my nieces and nephew?"

Shelby sighed, "They're pains in my ass."

Hiram's laugh erupted over the phone.

"But they're good. You know them-"

"Tell Noah, We'll be at the next home game. Leroy can't stop talking about it. He wants to give him a few tips, ' from one McKinley starting quarterback to another.' I told him though, honey, it's been 20 years, but he insists."

"Okay I'll tell him, but it's Puck now. Not Noah."

"He hasn't let up with that yet?"

"No, and I'm this close to shaving off his disgusting Mohawk."

Hiram chuckled, "How about my girls? It's been too long since I've seen those gorgeous nieces of mine. You know, Harmony has been talking non-sop about cheering. She said she wants to be just like her big cousin Santana."

Shelby laughed, picturing her adorable niece, wait till she told San.

"And how's my baby girl Rachel? How's McKinley treating her? Any boys? Every day she looks more and more like you. It's uncanny."

Shelby could practically see him jumping with every question.

"She's good! She's getting used to it I think. The girls are good for the most part, I told you about the slushy fiasco on their first day didn't I?"

"Yes, but there hasn't been any incident since, has there?"

"No."

"Geez, McKinley doesn't change, huh? Remember when we went therel?"

"Psht, don't remind me." Shelby giggled.

"And? What else? You're holding out on me about something. My sixth sense can feel it."

Shelby gulped and closed her eyes, "How do you do that?"She practically whispered.

"Mom and Dad vaguely mentioned something when I called them from Positano a couple weeks ago but you know how mom gets, I let it slide."

"I _know_ how mom gets, which reminds me, they're coming down this weekend."

"You're dodging the question Shelbs."

"Well..." She sighed and brought her heels down as she sat up, "guess who has resurfaced."

"_No!_"

"Yes."

"Get the fuck out."

"He called randomly, out of the blue."

"What! _Why_? What does he want? Just a call right? No visit?"

"Just a call. And that's the thing...I don't _know_ what he wants."

"Why do I feel like we don't want to know..."

"Tell me about it." Shelby could feel the dread dripping from his voice.

"How did the kids take it?"

"As expected."

"Wait, sorry to interrupt, but have you watched the news at all today?"

"You know me, I prefer print news in the morning."

"Well, there's this hideous dress that's all over-"

"YES! The kids were arguing this morning over some dress or other. The white and gold one?"

"Yeah that one. Apparently the world is split. Half see it blue and black the other, white and gold."

"San left so mad this morning. She stormed out of the house, even after I called out after her."

"Remember pulling that one on mom?"

"Ha, these kids have it easy. Especially San, if I did half the things she did-"

"Well...um you kinda di-"

"I'm worried about her though, lately she's been so angry. "

"It's not the first time she gets that way this time of year."

"True, maybe it's just that..I don't know." Shelby held her breath, "I'm kind of sort of seeing someone. Well not really seeing, more like seeing where it might go, in a potential, _sort_ of, _kind_ of way and I don't think she's taking that well either."

"Wait. What! _Who_?"

"I worry because poor thing was blessed with my temper, and I know it's just that. A bad temper. She's not like her father. I know that for a fact. I'm not saying she acts like him, but I think she got a double dose of _my_ temper, no, _triple_ dose of _my _temper and-"

"SHELBS!" Hiram was fed up with the deflecting.

"Huh?"

"_WHO ARE YOU SORT OF MAYBE SEEING?!_"

* * *

><p>The bell shrieked, signaling the end of fourth period. Santana just left the cafeteria. She fell into step with Quinn and Brittany, barely noticing the way people cleared a path for them to walk down the hallway. Lunch was okay, same old drama unfolded in the cafeteria. The hockey team started with the football team and they almost got into a fight. Good thing Noah's lunch period wasn't until now, or he would have most definitely joined in.<p>

"I got it!" The taller blonde skipped and clapped her hands together, oblivious to the open-faced stares the rest of the hallway inhabitants were throwing their way, "Santana and I are actually aliens. That's why we see blue and black."

Santana face palmed and Quinn couldn't help but laugh at her friends antics, "If you really think about it though, it brings into question the entirety of human perception. I mean what else do we perceive differently from each other? Not just color, you know, but like everything else?"

Santana lightly shoved her on the side, "Your such a nerd sometimes Q."

"I'm serious!"

"Case in point blondie."

"What about the perception that Santana and I are aliens. But good ones of course. Imagine Alien sex? How would they do it? That's my perception. We're aliens. Sorry Q, no offense."

Santana was frozen and Quinn just slowly nodded, "None taken."

"Anyway what's next period again guys?"

"S and I have spanish and you have math with Griffin's."

Brittany slouched her shoulders and pouted, "I really don't like Mr. Griffin. He does math all wrong. It just confuses me more. He doesn't let me do it how I want to do it. He think's_ his_ way is _the_ way, when actually, there is_ always_ more than one way. Am I right?"

The taller blonde had a spring in her step as they stopped in front Santana's locker.

"Wanna switch with me? You can take Spanish with Schue."

"Are we still mad at him?"

Santana grabbed her binder out of the locker and closed the metal door shut before turning around. She braced herself for the prying looks her two best friends were most definitely going to give her.

"He's a douche."

"San, he's hardly a dou-"

"He is. I don't like him and he can't even teach spanish. He should be embarrassed. Romance language my ass. He makes it sound like nails on a chalkboard. "

"So true," Quinn laughed.

After dropping off Brittany in her class, the two found themselves just outside Mr. Schue's door.

"Tell me again, why I put up with this shit Q? I'm being punished for something, right? This is actual punishment."

The two slipped in just after the late bell, all the seats had already been taken except two, designated for them only, towards the back left corner. They usually took the front of the room for every class, but Santana insisted on maintaing distance for this particular one.

"Well, well, well glad you decided to join ladies. Almost made it on time today."

Santana squeezed her binder and pressed her lips together tightly. She felt Quinn's hand rest on her shoulder as they sat down.

The blonde leaned forward and whispered, "Just 45 minutes S. That's shorter than an episode of Scandal."

The brunette slowly blew out the pent up air and glanced at the clock. She always complained Scandal was too short. She popped a piece of gum in her mouth, even though Schue didn't allow gum chewing in his class.

"Bien Ven-ee-dose Klah- Say"

She tried zoning out the profanity that was Schue's Spanish speaking skills and instead glanced down at her phone.

_1 down, 44 minutes to go._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>No glee club today?"

Rachel glanced up and craned her neck to match the face to the voice.

"Uh n-no. It was cancelled today remember? Football has that mandatory meeting. Apparently so does the Cheerio squad." Rachel cursed herself for mumbling. Why did she always sound like that in front of _him_.

"Oh I guess your right. Are you waiting for Puck or something? I can go get him if you want." Finn pointed back towards the locker room and Rachel nodded her head vigorously.

"I just need the house keys. Your mom's giving me a ride home."

"Sweet. I'll be right back."

"Mkay!" She smiled and cursed herself some more.

"What's with the face?"

Rachel jumped and clutched her chest, "KURT! You scared me!" Her best friend laughed, slicked back his hair and shifted his weight on one foot.

"Carol's out front. Did you get the keys?"

"Almost just waiting for Finn"

"Oh? Are we now?"

Rachel didn't like the way Kurt raised his brow and shot her an omniscient grin. She was about to tell him otherwise when both their brothers emerged from the locker room. Shirtless. Rachel's mouth went dry.

"Hey Rach, Kurt." Puck threw her the house keys and nodded his head at Kurt."Nice catch midge." He grinned in approval.

"Thanks Noah I'll see you later! Bye Finn." Rachel waved and grabbed onto Kurt's hand dragging him as far away from there as possible.

_Curse football players and their abs._

Carol Hudson-Hummel pulled the car up to the front of the Corcoran residence, "Finn will pick you up by 5- 5:30 okay?"

"Kay" Kurt blew Carol a kiss, Rachel smiled warmly at her potential future mother in law. The lady was _very_ nice.

"My mom should be home around 4. If Kurt is needed at home sooner we would be more than happy to take him. It's no trouble at all."

"Well thank you Rach honey, you are so polite. Isn't she so polite? My son's can learn a thing or two from you."

Rachel could feel the heat rising up her cheeks fast.

"Have fun you two. Stay out of trouble." Carol drove off and Kurt was doing a terrible job at hiding his laughter.

"Shush Kurt."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You don't have to! I can hear you thinking it!"

"OoO you never told me you have a hot mailman."

The brunette turned around to see the person in question walking up the front path. "Corcorans?"

"That's us." Rachel smiled warmly as the mailman sifted through a wad of envelopes.

"Bills for a Mrs. Shelby Corcoran, magazines for a Ms. Santana and Mr. Noah and a package for a Ms. Rachel Corcoran." Rachel eyes lit up, she hardly ever received mail.

"That's me!"

"Here you go. Have a nice day." The man walked away as Kurt opened the front door.

The two made their way through the house, dropping off the mail on the little hall table in the foyer and raced upstairs, package in hand. Kurt took note of that strange look that settled onto his best friends face. They collapsed once they went inside Rachel's room, Kurt flopping down on her bed.

"Aren't you going to open it?"

"Um maybe later."

He watched her bury it under the stack of books on her desk.

"But it's from New York!"

"It's not important," Rachel stood up and smoothed down her skirt, "Let's go downstairs and watch a movie or something."

Kurt eyed her and made a mental note to ask about the mysterious package later.

* * *

><p>Puck walked down the hall and stood outside of the door where the letters printed onto the frosted glass read <em>Tutoring Center<em>

He could think of a million other things he would rather be doing at this very moment. This was the _last_ place he wanted to be. But he made a promise to his mother, his coach, to the team and to himself. He needed to pick up his grades. That was the only way he would be eligible to play college football.

The guys had taken bets as to who his tutor was going be. Azimio said knowing his luck, he'd end up with a, how did he put it again, a' fine ass tutor from college.'

Karofsky had to get tutored once and it was done by that one old lady who sat in the library all day long.

_Here goes nothing_

Puck turned the knob and knocked twice as he pushed the door open.

"Ah Mr. Corcoran. Nice of you to join us."

He grimaced. It wasn't a grin it was a grimace, at the librarian. She was sitting behind a desk, wearing a frumpy dress and her glasses hung on a chain around her neck.

"I have assigned you one of our highest qualified tutors." The librarian lady said and Puck almost sank to his knees in grateful prayer.

_Sweet Baby Jesus she's not my tutor. _

He doesn't even pray to Jesus in his religion. But hey Jesus was a Jew. Anyway

"Oh good here she comes now!" The librarian pointed behind him and before he could turn around he heard that unmistakable voice say, "You have_ got_ to be kidding me."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Here it is! I didn't have a lot of time to edit this one. I wanted to get it up as soon as possible. **

**Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed the last chapter. Also side note, I went there.. I did...I brought up "the dress." For this stories sake, let's just pretend it's happening in accordance with whichever timeline/universe the Corcorans exist. Okay?**

**Thanks again for the reviews! Hope you like. Let me know what you think! :D **


	17. Chapter 17

"Mrs. Librarian Lady-" His voice was borderline desperate.

"She has a _name_." Hers was way past irritation.

Puck squared his jaw (ignoring his new 'tutor') and placed all of his attention on the older woman," I think there's been a mistake."

"I completely agree with him Mrs. Pete-"

"I beg your pardon?" The elderly librarian's warm smile slowly began to falter as she glanced back and forth between the two disgruntled teens.

"Uhh," Puck thought it had been obvious, "She can't be my tutor. Sh-she..she-"

"Clearly he needs professional help," The young blonde spoke out and flailed her arms in the direction of the Mohawked football player, "He can't even form coherent sentences."

"Miss Fabray," The elder woman stared pointedly at the young blonde and reverted her attention back to Puck, "Mr. Corcoran, I can assure you Miss Fabray is most qualified to tutor you. Not only is she an exemplary student, but she has the highest improvement rates with other students under her guidance."

Puck finally flicked his eyes in her direction, acknowledging Quinns presence for the first time.

So what if she looked extra good today and her hair was doing that thing again. _Fuck that._

"But she's younger than me!"

"Mrs. Peterson, _Noah_ is right, I can just-"

"Nonsense." Mrs. Peterson closed her eyes and waved out her palms, shutting the two teens at once. She handed the keys to Quinn and pointed down the hall to the smaller room off to the side.

"Lock up when your done please Quinn dear. You know the drill." Mrs. Peterson slipped a grin, nodded her head and went back to her desk to busy herself with her computer.

Quinn closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She quietly gathered her books and headed down the hall as Noah just stood in the middle of the room. He was seconds from jetting out the door. McKinley's cheap ass couldn't afford real tutors. So he'd just go and get one on his own. He didn't need Fabra-

"Corcoran?" His thoughts were rudely interrupted by that infamous raised brow, "You coming or what?"

* * *

><p>The youngest Corcoran had just finished making a snack for her and her best friend. She knew Kurt wasn't exactly a vegetarian like herself, but who could resist her delicious home made recipe?<p>

Rachel balanced the tray of food and ice cold drinks on both hands as she made her way back up to her room. She very carefully measured her steps and softly made her way her to her door. She was expecting Kurt to be pouring over her laptop, staring at the profile pictures of the Dalton Academy boys. Or see him rummaging through her closet like he usually did. She did not expect to see him sitting at her desk, opened envelope on his lap and holding the contents of whatever laid inside that package.

"KURT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She almost dropped the entire tray. The drinks sloshed around and splashed onto the floor.

Kurt didn't even try to hide, he waved the piece of paper in his hand, a giant smile plastered on his face, "Rachel! You have two first class tickets to New York!" He scanned the contents of the envelope one more time,"Plus broadway tickets to A Gentlemans Guide to Love and Murder. Orchestra Seats! Orchestra! Not to mention a thick wad of spending cash!"

The young brunette marched over and snatched the paper from his hand, "Give that to me right now Kurt Hummel! You had no right!"

Kurt didn't understand. He'd been thrilled when he opened the envelope. He wished it was addressed to him. It might as well have been. The letter specifically asked Rachel to invite her best friend. Duh. That was a no-brainer.

Rachel snatched the contents and shoved them back inside the manila envelope without bothering to read the letter or study the itinerary.

"Why are you mad?! I took the initiative of opening the New York mail for you. I couldn't let you ignore it. It looked too important. You were scared, I could tell but Rachel! Okay...maybe I should've waited so we could open it together... but I saw the address and my fingers couldn't help themselves. We tell each other everything anyway. I mean...why aren't we jumping around your room right now?! Rachel we're going to New York! We're going to a Broadway Show! We're-"

"Im sending it back," Rachel disappeared behind her closet door and reemerged, envelope-less.

Kurt's jaw went slack, "What? Why!?"

"I can't accept that Kurt, any of it. And to tell you the truth, I'm very upset at you for going through my personal things,"

"But Rachel-"

"No, Kurt. You had no business opening that. How would you feel I did that to you?!"

"But we tell each other everything!"

"KIDS!?" A new voice called from downstairs just as the alarm system blurted 'front door open.'

Rachel's eyes widened, a look of pure panic settling across her face as she glanced towards her opened door. The young brunette ran forward and dug her hands onto either side of her best friend shoulders and pleaded desperately, "Kurt, you can't mention this to my mom. Please! Don't say anything about the envelope. To anyone!"

Confusion was written all over her best friends face, not to mention a sliver of guilt, pain and a hint of fear.

There was something very off about all of this. He wanted to ask more, dig further, but Rachel's fingers pressed harder into his skin.

"KURT!" She pleaded.

"Why? Rachel?Whose it from?"

"RACH?! SWEETIE ARE YOU HOME?"

Rachel remained inches away from Kurt's face, fingers digging onto either side of his pale arms as she called out, eyes still locked in place with her best friends, "Coming mom!" She called back down and dropped her voice to a whisper, "Kurt?" Her eyes darted back and forth across his face until she finally saw the look she was anxiously awaiting.

There was nothing but trust and determination staring right back at her.

"I promise."

* * *

><p>"<em>Noah<em> cut it out." Quinn ground her teeth upon deaf ears, "NOAH!"

"Puck," He answered icily.

"Fine," She slammed the pencil down on the desk, "Puck. Whatever. Just pay attention. I'm going to go over this _one_ more time."

The only sound that could be heard were the scratches of pen on paper and the thud of Puck's fingers drumming against his knee.

"Okay? Did you see what I did here?"

The Mohawk bobbed once, "I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were," Quinn slid the paper and pencil over to the football player.

"Then don't fucking talk to me like I am."

Quinn leapt from her seat, scraping back her chair in quick motion, the sound slicing through the quiet, "I don't have to be here you know! This is a waste of my fucking time. If you don't want to learn or get that football scholarship then that's fine by me. What do I care? I already took my SAT's" The Cheerio snatched all the papers and books from the table and began shoving them into her bag.

"Wait."

She zipped up her issued Cheerleading bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Fabray, wait, please. Look I'm sorry alright." Puck leapt from his seat and grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from leaving.

"I hate this shit...it frustruates me because all the numbers are like jumbled up and I hate admitting this... I really do, " He took note of how the blonde's features began to soften and her scowl was slowly disappearing, "I'll only say this once Fa- Quinn, But I can use all the help I can get. And if that means help from the Ice Queen herself, I guess I just have to suck it up and-"

"I'm done Puck." Quinn's scowl reappeared as she shimmied from under his hand and pivoted on her heel.

"Chill! I was just messing with you." The football player scrambled forward and intercepted the Blonde before she reached the door, "No Ice Queen references. I get it. But, please? Will you help me?"

Noah could see her eyes in deep concentration and he couldn't help but feel relieved when she unstrapped her bag and walked back over towards the chair.

"Fine. But we do this my way. Got it?"

"Yes Ice...I see. I see. I got it. Yup."

Quinn raised a brow and grit her teeth. " I don't know how San does it."

"Honestly neither do I." Puck always questioned who Santana surrounded herself with, "But why the fuck are we talking about my sister here? Let's get this shit over with already."

They got to work and soon enough, the tiny room filled with silence, you could hear the low humming sound coming off the fluorescent lights hanging on the ceiling. The Cheerleader was surprisingly patient as she waited for him to read over the equation. She could tell he was analyzing the problem and before long, the sounds of Noah's pencil scribbling the paper added to the quiet. She watched as he leaned forward on the desk and frowned in determination, his lips were pulled in tight and his knee began to bounce incessantly. Her eyes roamed over his work, seeing a giant mistake at the beginning. She was about to correct him so he could go back and fix it before he carried on, when he surprised her and flipped his pencil over, rubbing the eraser onto the error.

Noah hated using pencils, and erasers were annoying. He crumpled the page instead and took a shot at the waste basket in the corner.

"Three pointer," he grinned and started again on a brand new sheet. He could feel Quinn's intense gaze and he was thankful she had remained quiet for the most part. Until now.

"Puck..." Quinn whispered so softly, thinking aloud, that Noah barely heard her over his pencil scratches. He stopped scribbling and looked up.

"What?"

"You know I never asked this question before..but where exactly did you get that name from?!" The blonde cheerleader began playing with her fingers on the table, twisting them, thinking aloud, "I mean, I doubt you've read Shakespeare...there's no way in hell you decided to name yourself after that character even if it does suit you."

Puck blinked twice letting Quinns vapid words sink before he spoke up.

"Shakespeare stole my name?!"

"Why do I even bother? No, he did not steal your name, _Noah_...you stole his..Midsummer Nights Dream?! Ever heard of it? Probably not." The blonde found herself checking her words, using every ounce of strength she possessed to keep from calling Noah Corcoran any word associated with idiot, stupid or moron. She had a list of words waiting patiently at the gate, ready to be whipped in his direction but she chose to replace them. She held herself back.

"Hey hey hey climb off your high cow little country blondie, I know Shakespeare. I've watched Romeo and Juliet before...that chick was hot."

Quinn rolled her eyes.

"But for your information, I picked up the name from playing hockey."

"Hockey?"

"Yeah Miss Know-it-all. That game you play on the ice with sticks and a little black puck."

"I know what Hockey is _Noah_, I just never knew you played." She shot back with gritted teeth and put her strength to good use one more time.

"Well I promise you there's a lot you dont know bout me Fabray."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah." Puck went back to working on the equation and the room was plunged into silence once more.

"I played," He stopped scratching his pencil, " And I was pretty dam good too. You know for a kid. I went to a Rangers game once and I became obsessed with the sport." Just like that his mind flashed the memory for him.

New York City 2002

_"Dad!" The nine year old ran after his father, jumping along next to him as they wound their way through the Central Park trails. The sun had already gone down. It had been getting darker, earlier. The sky was purple, a hint of orange framed the bare trees through the almost empty park. _

_His dad was dressed in his best formal attire. They had gone to dinner at Tavern on the Green, he didn't really care about the food. It was icky. But his little sisters loved that place for some reason. So did his Uncle Ram and Uncle Leroy. _

_Dinner was kind of weird. Noah had almost forgot about everything that happened earlier but his mom and dad kept making weird faces at each other over the dinner table._

_He was nine years old. He could pick up on those things. He wasn't a little kid anymore, he was a big kid._

_Rachel and San were still babies. Not him. That's why they were trailing behind and walking with their mom. _

_He and his dad were the only ones walking ahead. He could tell something was bothering his dad though. Maybe that's why he was so angry earlier. _

_Maybe something happened that got him mad? Maybe something made him sad. Sometimes, when he was sad, he got mad. Like in school the other day, he asked Lisa Gray if she could be his girlfriend. _

_Noah had only asked because she was the prettiest girl in his whole entire grade and Anton was going to beat him to it. He couldn't let Anton win. So he asked Lisa during recess, on the swings, in front of everybody. But she said no._

_ She said no! _

_He didn't think she would say no. He had heard from Ali, that Lisa told Stephanie she liked him. So when she told him No, he got sad. But he couldn't show it. So instead he got real mad. _

_He called her a mean name and made her cry. _

_See, he was a big kid now. He understood these things. His dad was probably real sad about something. __And he didn't want his dad to be mad anymore. So he kept trying to talk about stuff that made him happy. _

_Like the Rangers. _

_"Dad! You missed my practice yesterday. You promised you would make it." Noah was practically skipping, trying to stay in step with Robert. _

_"Hmm? Sorry Bud, something came up at work." His father was fiddling with the antenna on his bulky black cell phone. He wouldn't look up. _

_So the nine year old tried getting his attention again._

_"I scored ten goals yesterday!"_

_"Wow." Robert's attention remained trained on the phone. _

_"Yeah! And I played right winger and right defensemen and goalie! I played all positions Dad! You missed it! Coach even gave me a new nickname."_

_"Really bud," Robert began listening to his messages. _

_"Wanna hear it?" Noah tugged onto the sleeve of his father's winter coat, "Dad?"_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Wanna hear it! Coach called me Puck! He said because I'm good with the puck. I can do anything with it."_

_The nine year old jumped in front of his dad and acted everything out, "I can shoot it, stop it and even catch it." _

_Robert deleted a message from his phone and cursed under his breath. _

_"Dad?" _

_"Yeah son." His eyes flicked up for a second. _

_"Did you hear what I said?! I have a new nickname! It's Puck!" _

_"Yeah, yeah thats awesome bud." He ruffled Noah's hair and managed to put on a smile. Noah picked up his pace tugged on the sleeve again. _

_His plan was working. _

_"Can we go see the Ranger's play again. Or maybe even the Islanders. Please? They both play tonight!"_

_"Don't think so bud."_

_"How come?"_

_They had made it to the end of the park and were standing at the edge of the sidewalk. Traffic zoomed by, the city was bathed in a beautiful warm yellow glow against the cold wind that whipped their faces. _

_It was like magic._

_They waited for the light to change so they could walk across the street. Shelby and the girls were trailing behind them but had finally managed to catch up. _

_"Mommy can we go to the movies?!" Santana tugged on her mothers hand and glanced over to look at her little sister, "Rae you wanna see a movie right?" She spoke sweetly and gently but the little girl didn't answer. "Rae?" _

_Shelby scooped up her youngest daughter and cradled her against her chest, "Not tonight baby. I think Rachel's tired. We're going home."_

_"Dad and I are going to a Rangers game." Noah stated matter of factly and jutted out his chin._

_"No, Noah."_

_"How come Dad?" They would have fun. They always had fun there. Just the two of them. His dad would forget all about being sad or angry. _

_"Because I already told you no. Not tonight."_

_"But why not!?"_

_"Noah, honey, it's late. You have school tomorrow. Another day." Shelby fixed the unruly hair on her son's head. He was definitely due for a cut soon. _

_"But, Dad!? Let's go! Call Jim. He can get us seats. It's not too late. Come on!" He tugged onto his father's hand and pointed south, his finger magically locating Madison Square Garden through the trees of Central Park, buildings of midtown and all that traffic. _

_"I SAID NO NOAH! WHAT ARE YOU STUPID?! WHAT PART OF NO DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!" Robert roared in the middle of the street. Noah recoiled. _

_Santana pressed herself into her mother's leg. Rachel began shaking and crying into Shelby's chest. _

_Shelby stood in shock. _

_Mouth open. _

_Robert's face had morphed into one of pure and utter anger, but ugly realization began morphing it back. _

_"Noah, He smoothed his hand over his hair and pocketed his phone," When I say No, It means no." He took a step toward his son but Noah backed away and fell into his mother. _

_Rachel kept crying. _

_Noah's plan didn't work. He had failed. He only wanted to make his Dad feel better. Not see him mad. Especially not mad at him. He didn't do anything. He didn't. _

_ A warm small hand slinked it's way into his and San's fingers squeezed his hard._

_"Shel." Robert stepped forward. _

_"Strike two. __I'm taking the kids home."_

_They walked across the street where their driver was waiting for them. His mom opened the car for them and motioned for him and San to get in. She placed Rachel in his arms and closed the door. _

_"Noah," Santana spoke and pressed herself into his side but he shushed her so he could hear what their Mom and Dad were saying. _

_Their voices were muffled, but he could just make out, "I don't know what has gotten into you. I really don't. But you better get your act together. Fast. Let that be the last time you ever do that. The kids and I are leaving. You can find your way home on you own."_

_"Shel I'm sorry,"  
><em>

_"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." _

_The door opened and Robert bend down, "Noah," _

_He didn't have a chance to say anything, even if he wanted to. The door shut his father out. _

_"Noah."_

_..._

_.._

_._

"Noah?" The blonde cheerleader was studying his face intently. He had zoned out there for a minute and mentally cursed his brain for bringing all that shit up.

Quinn was giving him this look, what was he saying before?

"Uh yeah. So anyway, I joined a travel hockey team." He bit the inside of his cheek and bounced both legs, trying to act unfazed under her gaze.

"I had some sweet moves on the ice, " He flashed his best smirk, stopped bouncing his leg and leaned forward, "They said I had a way with the puck and I always had one on me. The nickname just stuck I guess." He wondered at that exact moment, how his old coach was doing?

"Why didn't you ever play for our team here then?"

"Psht are you kidding me? This team is a joke. I could skate circles around those figure skaters. Besides all my friends did football here. I played hockey first, yeah, but I fell hard for football."

"We are still talking about the sport right?"

"Yes, _Lucy_," He wanted to see her scowl and was pleased with himself when he accomplished his goal.

The Cheerio straightened up and slammed her palm onto the table, tapping the paper, " Well then hurry up and finish Puck so I can get out of here already. I'm supposed to meet San and Britt after this."

"Fine."

As if on cue, the blondes phone rang and he saw his sister's face flash across her screen.

"You gonna get that?"

"I don't like answering calls when I'm in a session." She fiddled with the phone.

"It's Santana, you can answer." He waved his hand.

Quinn slid her finger over the screen and brought the phone up to her ear. Puck could hear his sister's voice clearly as if the call were on speaker.

_"Quinnifer! Are you done already?! Britts and I are starving. Bitches gotta eat." _

Puck snorted as he scratched out the last step to the problem and slid the paper over to the Cheerio.

"Hey S, you'll never guess who I'm with."

_"Who?_"

"SUP STAN!" Puck spoke into the mouthpiece as Quinn looked over the equation.

He had done it.

It was all written out neatly and most importantly, it was correct.

_"What the actual fuck! She's your tutor!? You haven't killed each other?! Are you two done?! Could you hurry the hell up, we're starving." _

"Yeah we're done. I'll meet you in the parking lot."

She closed the call and they both shook their heads.

"She's your sister.

"She's your best friend."

"This is right by the way." Quinn tapped her pen onto the paper and twitched one corner of her mouth upwards into a barely-there grin. Not a smile, not even a full blown grin, just a sliver of acknowledgement.

"I know. So, we're done here right?" Puck stood up and stretched out his arms in an exaggerated motion.

"For now," Quinn began packing everything away, "Yeah."

"Same time same place tomorrow Corcoran."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't forget to lock up Fabray, you don't want Betty White over there to go all crazy on you." Puck shouldered his bookbag and Quinn's face melted into an actual grin.

"Her name is Mrs. Peterson, " she shook her head and bit her lip, attempting to stifle the smile was threatening to reveal itself.

She was failing miserably.

"You have to admit, she looks like Betty White." They two exited the small room. Quinn shut the lights and jiggled the keys in the doorknob.

"Stop, _Noah," _Quinn lightly shoved her elbow into him and she walked back to Mrs. Peterson and placed the keys on her desk. The old lady glanced up behind her thick glasses and smiled warmly at the two.

"Well, I see we made progress today."

The two teens darted their eyes at each other.

"See you darlings tomorrow." Her high cheeks crinkled the skin around her eyes, the smile never leaving her face as she watched them exit the room, "Oh to be young again."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So what do you my lovely readers think of this chapter?!<strong>

**It's coming along. I do want to finish this story. I owe it to the Corcorans to finish it ;) **

**Also, Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Your reviews are like little presents, encouraging me to continue with this story. Shoutout to my guestreviewers, international readers and loyal reviewers/readers who have been there since day 1...3 years ago lol. Lots of love to you all! I promise to respond to my reviewers next chapter! **

**Hope you enjoyed! Until next time! :D**


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